A good stretch can be good for your pelvis, but more often than not the ligaments around your pelvic bone during pregnancy can go too soft, too soon and causes weird sensations around the back down to a pregnant woman’s belly. While aches and pains re normal in pregnancy, mothers cannot described well enough the pain and discomfort involved in Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction (SPD). SPD is a pregnancy condition that initially happens in the final trimester or in preparation for labour when the baby drops into the pelvic region.

What Causes SPD during Pregnancy

The culprit behind SPD is the hormone Relaxin, which makes your ligaments stretchy so that the baby can pass through the birth canal easier. Unfortunately, the body releases too much relaxin making the ligaments around a pregnant woman’s pelvic bone become too relaxed and stretchy. The pelvic joint or symphysis pubis become misaligned and causes pain and other pretty weird sensations.

Data shows that one in every five pregnant women will experience SPD. While your legs may feel like they’re going in different directions, they won’t fall off. Only 7 percent of SPD are considered a severe case and this is when the joint actually dislocates or separates. This condition is actually called Diastasis Symphysis Pubis, DSP which can cause serious pain in a pregnant woman’s hips, groin, pelvis and buttocks. SPD makes walking, standing or even rolling in bed really painful as one side of the pelvic joint shifts more than the other. This makes it hard for mothers to exactly identify the level of discomfort and pain felt during pregnancy.

What you need to Know about SPD

You can do a lot of of stabilizing exercises, use pelvic support belts, and do pelvic tilts during pregnancy. But when the pain gets extremely painful, it is best to see your health practitioner for a comprehensive assessment. It pays to invest time knowing what’s going on in your pelvic area during pregnancy. Knowing that you’re not alone on this painful and weird discomfort means there are treatment options available that are safe both for you and the baby. Normally, SPD cannot go worse after delivery since relaxin production ceases once the baby is born, which means your ligaments will return to normal.

What to do about SPD

Chiropractic therapy is one of the most popular treatment options for SPD patients. A chiropractic care involves a combination of joint realignment or mobilisation and soft tissue or muscle treatment. Chiropractors adhere to the fact that pain makes the muscles tight and this tightness has to be released in order to allow the joint to move normally. Manual treatment with the use of hands-on techniques to realign the joints can be done by physiotherapists, chiropractors or osteopath with training and experience in treating SPD.

Because SPD symptoms can build up gradually, not every type of treatment works for every SPD patient. The key to management of symphysis pubis dysfunction is early intervention in order to reduce the discomfort. This can also significantly help by avoiding activities or movements that exacerbate the condition. Health practitioners such as chiropractors and occupational therapist can give you an expert advice and guidance especially in modifying work and rest areas.

Before doing any activity inside and outside the home, remember the golden rule during pregnancy, “If it hurts, don’t do it!” Generally, the joint becomes more stable after giving birth but if you have had SPD in your previous pregnancy, you are more likely to have it again. Thus, it helps that you continue with chiropractic care after delivery.