Acupuncture and nerve stimulation similarly reduce pain in the pelvic girdle

More than one in two pregnant women experience some degree of pelvic girdle pain. Pain in the pelvic girdle often makes walking difficult. One in ten women with more severe pain may remain symptomatic more than a decade after giving birth.

“Pain in the pelvic girdle can be caused by a variety of changes in the body due to pregnancy, and it is important to identify such pain early in order to provide treatment,” said the authors of the paper. Anika Svan Ekdahl, a physical therapist, emphasizes:

“It’s normal for pregnant women to have pain in their backs or pelvis, for example, and they’re often told that it’s pregnancy-related. But when your whole life is affected by pain, it becomes a problem. , it will no longer be normal,” she says.

Comparison of acupuncture and TENS

This paper compares the effectiveness of two different treatments: acupuncture and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS). In the study, 113 pregnant women were randomly selected to receive either 10 acupuncture sessions with a physical therapist or daily TENS treatment at home for five weeks. It was found that these treatments yielded comparable results.

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“Both treatments reduced participants’ pain intensity and pain-related anxiety while also helping them maintain physical activity. This is noteworthy because pelvic girdle pain often leads to decreased physical activity. We deserve it,” says Annika Svan Ekdahl.

pain and anxiety

Participants in both groups improved their functional status over time, and about half met common recommendations for physical activity three years after giving birth.

“At the same time, we found that some women still experienced persistent pelvic pain.” It also had to do with whether we could do it,” says Annika Svan Ekdahl, adding:

“One interesting finding is that, in addition to actual pain, concerns about pain are a big problem. “Concerns about pain appear to have a significant impact on women’s functional status.”

When asked about their expectations from meeting with a physical therapist, pregnant women with pelvic pain said they wanted personalized advice. They seek professional help to deal with their particular situation.

paper: Management of pelvic girdle pain associated with pregnancy.Tailor-made physical therapy treatment strategies based on women’s experiences and expectations