SPD & PGP: Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction & Pelvic Girdle Pain

The abbreviations “SPD” and “PGP” are thrown around a lot in pregnancy. SPD refers to dysfunction of the pubic symphysis, which is the joint at the front of the pelvis. “Dysfunction” in this case is a broad term, and typically does not refer to any injury or damage. PGP stands for Pelvic Girdle Pain, which […]

Diastasis Recti: abdominal muscle separation post-partum

During pregnancy, the abdominal muscles have to come apart to make room for the bump. If they don’t knit back together after while the body heals post-partum, the patient can be diagnosed with diastasis recti. Diastasis means separation, and recti refers to the 6-pack muscles: rectus abdominus. Diastasis is not exclusive to women who have […]

Osteopathy and Pregnancy

I’m currently treating an array of pregnant patients, from the start of the second trimester to a few weeks before the due date. The interesting thing is that they all present with a variation of the same thing: lower back and pelvis area pain. For some it is relentless, and may even need crutches. For […]

Lower back and pelvic pain during and after pregnancy (Franke et al, 2017)

Roughly 50% of pregnant women suffer from lower back pain or posterior pelvic pain; this increases towards the end of the pregnancy and through the first year after giving birth. The most widely accepted explanation for this is that these areas provide the most compensation for the increase in weight in the abdomen. This research […]