Causes of pelvic pain in pregnancy can be far and wide. If your pain comes on suddenly while you are not moving, and especially if it is associated with any bleeding or a feeling of contractions, you should speak to your midwife or obstetrician without delay. However, it is common to experience musculoskeletal pain in different parts of the pelvis during pregnancy, including the buttocks, the hips, or the pubic symphysis at the front (and sometimes all three). These pains may reflect biomechanical issues in your sacro-iliac joints, hips or lumbar spine, and these are the problems we can help you with at Equilibria.
Symphysis Pubis Diastasis (SPD)
If the pubic symphysis separates, this is termed SPD (symphysis pubis diastasis) and will seriously affect walking. However, it is common to have biomechanical issues at the pubic symphysis without separation, and this usually causes groin pain and difficulty with walking, putting trousers on and other activities where the weight is put on one leg.
Click here to read more about SPD
Coccyx Pain (Tailbone Pain)
Pain in the tailbone is common in pregnancy and the postpartum period, and very specific manual therapy treatment is usually required.
Sacro-Iliac Joint Dysfunction
SIJ Dysfunction is extremely common in pregnancy, and can be due to a range of problems. Sometimes it is associated with the excessive movement at the joints due to the hormonal softening effects of pregnancy combined with the increasing pressure placed on them. When mobility becomes excessive (for example, if you have always been ‘’double-jointed’’ anyway) a specifically prescribed sacro-iliac joint support belt can be a godsend. However, just as often, the cause is that one side is ‘’locked up’’ relative to the other, causing faulty biomechanics, and in this situation, specific manual therapy can work wonders.