SPD/PGP before period

[monkeypupb]

Hello,

I’m not sure if anyone can help me, I just feel lost with this. I had SPD on and off before I fell pregnant with my daughter in 2016. I was on crutches from 8 weeks pregnant and this got worse until about 3 months after delivery. Roll on a few years and when I was pregnant with my son the joint pain and weakness spread into my wrists/fingers/knees etc. In between my pregnancy’s I found for about a week before my period I had a return of symptoms, joint weakness, pain etc. I’m now 6 months postpartum and haven’t yet as a period due to breastfeeding but I’m dreading it coming back and the fight to get heard again. I believe it’s due to hormones as when I started taking the pill a few months ago I was less than a week in before I couldn’t walk again, let alone carry my so, so I quickly stopped the pill and have been pain free again for months. I have been tested for endometriosis and ehlers danlos but these both came back negative. I just don’t know who to talk to next. I feel like no one believes the pain I’m in and I’m often told that I’m just depressed or anxious when I try to bring it up with the GP. I feel like I’ve got a ticking time bomb just trying to enjoy the time I have before the return of the dreaded cycle. Does anyone have anything similar? Or any ideas of what it could be or what we could be missing? Or can just relate to not feeling heard?

Jx

[wobblybee Administrator Pioneer]

🤔 Is It Treatable?

YES! It is important to remember that PGP is a common and, in most cases, treatable condition. PGP can usually be treated effectively by 'hands-on' manual therapy from a physiotherapist, osteopath or chiropractor with experience in treating the pelvis and back. The therapist gently uses their hands to release stiff or 'stuck' pelvic joints and relieve painful muscles to allow them to work normally again. An individual assessment is important to look at the position and symmetry of movement of your pelvic joints, to find out which joints are causing the problem and how this can be treated. Often the joint causing the problem is not particularly painful, so treating the painful point is unlikely to sort out the underlying problem.

You may then be given some exercises specific to your own PGP to work on between treatment sessions when your pain has reduced. It is important to remember that pain stops your muscles from working correctly, so exercising when you are in a lot of pain is unlikely to help or make the muscles stronger, and often makes it worse.

You should walk out of each treatment feeling some improvement in either pain or function and preferably in both. Please see our ‘Treatment section’ for more information.

Other Names For PGP

PGP, formerly known as Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction (SPD), is also often called Osteitis Pubis, and Pelvic Girdle Relaxation. The name really depends on whom you talk to about it. In fact, the name is not very relevant. What matters most is that it is recognised as a mechanical joint problem and treated as early as possible, and that it can be safely treated in pregnancy.

Diastasis Symphysis Pubis (DSP)

DSP is a true separation at the symphysis pubis joint where the bones move more than 1 cm apart, either horizontally or vertically. It can happen if you have had a fall or another trauma to your pelvis (including a difficult birth or one where you have been asked to put your feet on a midwife’s hips or shoulders, something which they should never ask you to do). The majority of women with PGP do not have DSP. If your PGP symptoms do not get better with good manual therapy treatment from an experienced practitioner (remembering it can take time to find the right practitioner and you may need to try more than one to find the right person), it can be helpful to have further investigations to exclude DSP.

The normal range of movement (vertical shift or horizontal gap) is 0-3 mm, and a moderately excessive gap is 3-10 mm. Women can usually still function very well with this amount of movement after treatment, but it may need to be taken more into account when looking at types of exercises in the rehabilitation phase of treatment. If the shift is over 10 mm this can be more difficult to manage, but if you have not yet had any manual treatment you should discuss the options with an experienced practitioner before deciding on further treatment, and it is usually worth trying this before exploring more invasive treatment such as steroid injections or surgery.

Sports Injuries

PGP also occurs in sportsmen, such as rugby players, and they are treated quickly and effectively with the same range of techniques as those used for pregnancy-related PGP.

Copied from pelvicpartnership.org.uk