Tips to Reduce Pain and Strain on the Pelvis During Pregnancy:
An important component of Osteopathy practice is “structure governs function”. This concept is applied in management of pain during pregnancy and works with the woman’s body to help cope with changes in load and functional requirements during pregnancy, child birth and postpartum. (1)
Pregnant women are often troubled with musculoskeletal problems as their body goes through many load and structural changes. Some useful tips we have found during our 20+ years of seeing pregnant women are below. **
TIPS ON MOVEMENT TO REDUCE STRAIN AND PAIN IN THE PELVIS:
Getting in and out of Bed:
Sit on the edge of the bed, keep knees closed together, then lie down on your side, lifting both legs up sideways.
Reverse this to get out of bed.
Do not attempt to pull yourself up from lying on your back.
Rolling over in Bed:
Keep knees together. Do not roll with knees apart.
Getting in/out of a chair:
To get up, keep knees close together, put your hands on your knees and lean you nose over your toes to stand up. When sitting down, do the reverse.
Ensure that you feel the chair with the back of your legs first.
Getting into a car:
Sit down first, then swing your legs in, keeping your knees together.
For more tips check out this great resource from the Royal Women’s Hospital:
https://www.thewomens.org.au/images/uploads/fact-sheets/Pregnancy-related-pelvic-girdle-pain-210319.pdf
** All advice is general in nature and we recommend you see advice from your health care professional for your individual needs and management.
1 Osteopathy Obstetrics Stephen Sandler DO PhD 2012