Physio for SPD

[smurf]

I've had terrible pain in my pelvis for several months now especially when I turn over in bed sometimes I have to get out of the bed and then get back in facing the way I want to lie and its slowly been getting worse when I walk too. I went to the Dr about it who basically was just kean to get me the hell out of his surgery and wouldn't listen to me But I've perserved and each time I see the midwife I tell her the pain is getting worse but she kept saying it was just another pain of pregnancy.

Well last week I saw a different MW and she confirmed it was SPD (both my sisters had this so I wasn't too surprised but relieved finally someone was listening to me) anyway mw advised me to see the Dr to get a referral to physio as they can't refer me. I saw the dr on Monday a different guy and he couldn't have been nicer he was soooo sympatetic and said he was sending me for urgent referral. I got a phone call yesterday for an appointment today. I am soo please and praying they can help me.

 

[Peachy]

I have so much sympathy for you. I too have been suffering with SPD since 18 weeks (I am now 29 weeks) and the pain is so unbarable I just cry all the time. There is a lot of interesting stuff on the net about SPD about how it is very common in scandinavian women and how many health professionals in the UK nad USA refuse to recognise it as a genuine condition separate from "normal" pregnancy aches and pains. My Pubic bone has actually separated completely by quite a distance and I can only open my legs about 10cm - how anyone can give birth when they are suffering severely with this condition I do not know. You must be careful if having an epidural in labour since the tendency is to pull up your legs to push out the baby and to have your legs forced wide and although the pain killing drugs enable you to achieve this you can be left with serious long term ligament and joint injury. With this condition you must not force your legs or hips into any position that is uncomfortable nevermind painful. Speak to your consultant too and ask if there are registrars at the hospital that are able to perform an assisted delivery if neccessary (forcepts or ventouse) with the mother either lying on her side or on all fours as there is no way your feet should be put in stirrups. I do not know about physio but I am sure whatever physio you are given should be gentle and non weight bareing. I myself have attended a chiropracter - I thought he had actually broken my pelvis! but I did get about 24 hours of pain relief only for it all to come back again the next day. I am living in Bulgaria but am coming back to the UK on 16th July to have my baby there - due 16th Sept. Am not looking forward to banging my head on a brick wall with doctors and midwives who just seem so insensitive to this condition. I have been prescribed opiate base pain killers here - not a good idea generally but I am in so much pain that without them I can hardly walk at all. Have to stop them 2 weeks before delivery as they impair respiratory function in newborn - good eh? Just trying to work out when 2 weeks before delivery will be. My last child was born by section at 36 weeks due to gestational diabetes and pre-eclampsia I also had SPD too but only from about 28 weeks - so far I have none of these serious conditions this time only the dreaded SPD! Good luck to you I hope you get somewhere with the physio. Let me know how you get on but please do not force your joints or ligaments in any way. oh also ask about "Websters technique" or look it up it may be suitable I don't know. I am not a health professional so please bear in mind I am only talking from my own experience and research.

 

[clarem]

I to can really sympathise with you. I started with pain at night at 27 weeks that woke me up gasping it so sudden and intense. Over a matter of days I was reduced to shuffling along and at times barely even to move and in constant pain. Stupidly, I went for 3 weeks before I saw a midwife who referred me the next day to an obstetric physio. My reason for not asking for help was I was under the impression that there was little anybody could do to help - the only way I thought to resolve it was wait until I had the baby and my hormones and ligaments that had relaxed all went back to normal.

The physio I saw was truly lovely, very gentle and gave me lots of advice on how to make life easier until the baby is born. She needed to check that nothing was out of alignment - thankfully I'm not and it is SPD. One pelivic brace, a pair of crutches and drastically reducing what I do has meant that it is all much more bearable although I am still very limited in what I can do.

Try and get referred to an obstetric physio rather than a general physio as they will be far more experienced at dealing with this. It wont' really resolve until you have the baby but there is a lot you can do to lessen the problem and make life a little easier on yourself until then. The physio also helped restore my confidence in labour and giving birth as once SPD kicked in, I was completly terrified about giving birth. If for no other reason, the physio is happy to see me at any point, just for the emotional support of getting through pregnancy with SPD.

If you need any further info, please ask. I think there is a sticky thread about it which has some good info.

Clare

 

[Sabrina]

I hope you can get some relief from seeing the Physio Smurf. I had an appointment yesterday (at 37weeks+1). She was a lovely lady. She checked my pelvic alignment, asked a lot of questions and gave me a couple of exercises to try. I also got a free support belt (which is much better than the one I bought and tried before without luck).

I did the exercises yesterday and last night I slept a bit better. Today, when I went for a short shopping trip I wore the support belt. I am sure it helped.

Good luck with the physio. Hopefully you can get referred quickly and then get the benefit of the treatment sooner.

 

[Clydesdaleclopper]

Good luck with the physio. I've been on crutches with SPD since I was 18 weeks so I can sympathise. The most important thing is to take things really easy. Try not to walk too much, don't lift your legs up high or separate them. The support belt that the physio will probably give you really helps during the day but also ask for the giant tubigrip - if you wear this at night it really helps when you're trying to change position. The less you do the better you will feel so don't go to work! Hope you feel better soon.

 

[budge]

i have everysympathy for you. 8 months after giving birth and i am still having physio for mine.
i think mine was extra bad coz she was a 10 pounder though.