We wanted to highlight a patient story, regarding pain during pregnancy.
Sally is currently 24 weeks pregnant and this is her first pregnancy.
- She presents with pain in both of her hips and low back.
- She stopped exercising and being active due to pain.
- She was missing days at work due to the pain.
She went to her physician and was told this type of pain is normal and she would have to deal with it for the rest of her pregnancy and physical therapy likely wouldn’t help her situation. After consulting with other friends and family, her cousin who is a physical therapist, told her seeing a pelvic floor physical therapist could help her pain.
She came to see us for her initial evaluation
Her major complaints were:
- She couldn’t sit at work for more than 10 minutes due to increased hip, groin and pelvic pain
- She was unable to do general exercises
- she couldn’t walk for very long without increased pain
- She is a coach so she couldn’t spend time with her kids who play basketball
- She described the pain as achy & consistent
- She had difficulty with feeling stable on her legs
- She had discomfort at night finding a comfortable position to sleep in despite placing pillows in different combinations.
Her physical therapy evaluation revealed strength deficits in both hips, lower abdominal muscles and instability noted through the sacroiliac joint.
Our first goal was to get her out of the pain. We focused on a combination of deep core, pelvic floor and general hip strengthening & spent time on improving her posture. We worked on deep breathing techniques, how to optimally get into different position and how to safely transfer so she can decrease her pain and feel more stable. We discussed proper ways to lift for everything from groceries to her work bag. We spent time adjusting how she was sitting at work, ensuring she was not sitting twisted or shifted to one side or sitting in a slumped position.We advised taking frequent rest and move breaks to avoid sitting in one position for too long. Once these things were addressed she was able to significantly decrease her discomfort.
A pelvic floor physical therapist can really spend time with you to:
- Educate you on how to properly train and activate your pelvic floor muscles & your deep core muscles
- How to protect your back and hips.
- Good positions for labor and delivery
- Different positions for safe exercise
- Teach you ways to improve your posture
- Educate you on proper breathing and posture mechanics to not create any strain on the body during exercise.
Here at Legacy Physical Therapy we want to help you get out of pain, return to activity and help you have a healthy, safe and active pregnancy. If you’re having any pain that is limiting your activity, do not think it’s part of the process, and is something you have to suffer through. Partnering with a pelvic floor physical therapist can help prevent or minimize any issues that can impact your activity throughout your pregnancy. If you are experiencing any pains and would like to talk to one of our physical therapists don’t hesitate to reach out and schedule a discovery session!
