Pilates for Pelvic Girdle Pain/ PGP (Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction/ SPD) during pregnancy and beyond

In a previous post I touched upon the fact that I had SPD during my two pregnancies, but not wanting to muddy the waters of my post about the benefits Pilates can have on those with diastasis recti I thought I'd create a whole new post about how it can also help with pelvic girdle pain.

What is Pelvic girdle Pain/ Symphysis Pubis dysfunction? 

PGP or SPD can really hurt and is a debilitating condition to contend with when there's so much already going on with your body as it changes throughout pregnancy. It happens when there's excessive movement between the two pubis bones at the front of your pelvis, and is generally caused because your body produces the hormone relaxin during pregnancy (though pelvic instability can definitely happen outside of pregnancy occasionally also).

Female Pelvis

Pelvis: Our pelvis is made up of separate bones which work together to complete a number of functions. They act as a bowl to house the pelvic floor muscles (keeping our internal organs where they should be... another post on the importance of the pelvic floor and understanding what it is - for both men and women - to come!), and they act as a stabilising unit to help us walk/ use our legs. The bit at the front (where it says pubic arch) is our SP (Symphysis Pubis) joint - held together by connective tissue. 

Relaxin

Relaxin: A peptide hormone released to soften and allow stretching movement of the connective tissues and ligaments in a woman's body to provide room for the growing baby as well as making it's journey to the outside world possible. Every pregnant person produces relaxin, it's normal and expected, however sometimes this can cause an over-softening and stretching effect which leads to other issues such as SPD. 

So the relaxin combined with an over-softened SP joint leads to what is known as SPD (Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction). Basically this means the joint becomes unstable and strain is placed on the other joints which cause pain! 

Stable pelvis vs pelvis with SPD symptoms

Pain can range from dull aching, to grinding and discomfort and even sharp pulling at the groin, back, pelvic areas. It can have different manifestations per person but none are comfortable to live with, take it from me! 

Simple tasks like walking, bending, getting dressed, you name it can become very challenging, so if you're worried that this is you then go see your doctor who can refer you to the best course of action. 

The good news is that SPD tends to go away not long after birth, but you'll need a specialised recovery plan, utilising Pilates techniques to ensure you're working on the right things, in the right order so that you heal as effectively as possible and don't create longer term damage.

Not sure if you have PGP/ SPD? 

If you have any pelvic pains at all, especially during pregnancy, my advice is to see your doctor. Explain your symptoms and they can help from there. Referral to a physio is not uncommon, and from there the likelihood of them recommending Pilates or other, similar, strengthening and stabilising exercises is high. If the symptoms are bad, it's worth asking your doctor if you should do something like Pilates and if they agree, get a doctors note from them to confirm. 

Will Pilates make SPD/ PGP worse? 

No! With a qualified post-natal Pilates specialist, Pilates can help to manage the discomfort and pain of SPD. If the case of SPD is mild, then Pilates exercises can help reduce pain completely in some cases, and will help prevent the condition getting worse.  

If you're already doing Pilates then modifying exercises to focus specifically on this area, increase pelvic stability and improve your body's alignment will help, keeping you mobile and as strong as possible throughout your pregnancy. 

Pilates focuses on posture so by reinforcing good practices of positioning your new body and it's shifts in gravity, you're keeping as strong as possible so that when you've had your bundle of joy, you can start to work on re-aligning yourself correctly. 

Conditioning your body to give it its best chance of healing is a great thing to do, ensuring you're doing the right things to make this happen is essential, a pre and post natal Pilates specialist will work with you to avoid things that create pain and focus on supporting and strengthening the correct muscles and joints which in turn speeds up recovery times post-natally too. 

Things you can do at home

• Keep active if possible. Long periods of sedentary positioning can make the condition worse - be smart about what you're doing - so avoid things that exacerbate the pain

• Think posture. Are you evenly positioning yourself well and standing with weight distributed equally?

• Strengthen your Pelvic floor throughout your pregnancy and beyond (whether you have SPD or not this one's important)

• Stairs: Take them one step at a time, placing both feet on each step together whether you're going up or down. You might feel like an old person, but trust me, it helps

• Cars: Get in by sitting in first and swinging both legs around, get out by swinging legs out together and getting up from there

• See your doctor, they'll give you advice and point you toward other professionals that can help

• Get in touch with your local pre-natal Pilates specialist who'll be able to tailor exercise plans to suit your needs

If you're looking for Pilates in or near Mount Martha, Mornington, Mount Eliza or nearby on the Mornington Peninsula, VIC, then don't hesitate to get in touch with me - I'll be more than happy to have a chat, discuss options and figure out a plan that will suit you and help ease the pain of SPD.