It's estimated that PGP affects up to 1 in 5 pregnant women to some degree, however it is not fully known why pelvic pain affects some women and not others.
Developments in research have shown us that there are many things that may influence your symptoms, however the pelvis remains strong and stable throughout pregnancy and birth.
Why does PGP happen?
Why do some people experience pelvic pain during pregnancy?
You may have heard of a hormone called relaxin. We used to think that relaxin caused the joints in and around the pelvis to become “loose”, which was thought to cause pelvic pain during pregnancy. However, we now know that this is not the case. Your pelvis remains strong and stable during pregnancy.
During pregnancy, lots of changes happen in your body that can “turn up the volume” of your nervous system, particularly around your pelvis and lower back. This can make you more aware of what is happening in these areas.
Sometimes, your brain may interpret this increased nerve activity as pain, even though there is no damage to the area and no immediate danger. When this happens, we may naturally move and behave in a more protective way. Our muscles may also start to work really hard, which can create some tension or feel uncomfortable and this may contribute to pelvic girdle pain.
There is also a strong link between how we are feeling and how we experience pain. Pain and emotions are processed in closely connected areas of the brain. This means that things such as stress, worry, previous experiences of pain, and how we feel about certain movements can influence how strongly we experience pain.
During pregnancy, lots of changes happen in your body that can “turn up the volume” of your nervous system, particularly around your pelvis and lower back. This can make you more aware of what is happening in these areas.
Sometimes, your brain may interpret this increased nerve activity as pain, even though there is no damage to the area and no immediate danger. When this happens, we may naturally move and behave in a more protective way. Our muscles may also start to work really hard, which can create some tension or feel uncomfortable and this may contribute to pelvic girdle pain.
There is also a strong link between how we are feeling and how we experience pain. Pain and emotions are processed in closely connected areas of the brain. This means that things such as stress, worry, previous experiences of pain, and how we feel about certain movements can influence how strongly we experience pain.
Factors that may increase the risk of PGP
There are a number of things that may make someone more likely to experience pelvic girdle pain during pregnancy, including:
- A previous history of trauma
- A history of low back pain
- Having experienced pelvic girdle pain in a previous pregnancy
- A higher BMI
- Smoking
- Depression and/or anxiety
- A heavy physical workload during pregnancy
- Being unhappy or dissatisfied with work
- Believing that the pain will not improve
Will this settle down once I have had my baby?
94% of people recover quickly from PGP once they have had their baby (within 4 weeks)
For a small amount of women the pain will continue past 4 weeks.
If this is the case for you, try restarting the exercises HERE and make sure you are doing your pelvic floor exercises.
Should you pain continue after trying these please contact your midwife or GP for advice and a referral to physiotherapy if appropriate.
For a small amount of women the pain will continue past 4 weeks.
If this is the case for you, try restarting the exercises HERE and make sure you are doing your pelvic floor exercises.
Should you pain continue after trying these please contact your midwife or GP for advice and a referral to physiotherapy if appropriate.