SPD Physio.....So Annoyed :(

[mdsremos]

I saw the physio today for the first time and came away feeling what a complete waste of time. I have been confirmed as having the onset of SPD and although dshe advised that I need to wear a support belt she is unable to provide one as the practice has no money to purchase one!!!! How pathetic is that.

She went through a few pelvic exercises to do which have left me feeling as though I have done 100 sit ups and I really dont think she understood that for a start it was uncomfortable lying on my back for so long doing exercises, that when she asked me to turn on my stomach I refused (I am nearly 7 months for gods sake!) and she sent me away with a book to try and get from the library for Pilates Core exercises???

Really dont know where to turn and will certainly discuss with my midwife on Monday but what am I supposed to do when they offer no help, mention I could be on crutches by the end and thats it!

Anyone else had this sort of experience???

 

[Sarahe]

HI Mdsremos

am really sorry to here you didnt get the expected treament.

I too saw my physio yesterday and was confirmed with SPD,

She provided me with a tubigrip (like a an elastic band bandage) which I wear from under my breasts down over my bump and over my bump and hips to keep my hips in place and help support the bump off the pelvis. She also suggested crutches which I have at home for bad days (like yesterday ) With regards to the support band, she did say that I would have to purchase these as they NHS couldnt stretch to it as it is beocming more common for people to experience spd in pregnancy but they had resorted to Tubigrip.

another thing you could try is maternity tights cut the legs off and just wear the nicker bit she said that would also help support the bump

She did give me some pelvic floor exercises but showed me how to do them whislt sitting in a chair. perhaps you could try this

Sorry I couldnt be of more help mention it to your midwife she may refer you somewhere else?

Sarah

 

[Opprobrium]

Oh pants.

I have my first appt with a physio next Monday for what we're pretty sure is SPD. It was supposed to be today but was re-aranged to tomorrow, then Wednesday, now next Monday.

Not looking forward to it though and certainly not looking forward to the whole stretchy belt thing! But it is private (through husbands work) so maybe the facilities & funding will be better, but I've heard lots of girls saying they're all pretty much the same - no one seems impressed from what I've heard.

My cousin had it bad & ended up on crutches then a wheelchair.

 

[nicki]

Hiya,

Can I ask what symptons you have please? and how they diagnose SPD.what tests do they do?

I'm wondering if I have the start of it as my groin, hips and lower back can get really painful, especially if I walk too far, then I have to walk really slowly & it hurts alot.

I've read a bit about it on the net but still not sure. Any advice would be gratefully received!

Thanks Nicki.x

 

[Sarahe]

Hi Nikki,

The symptoms I have are

when sitting for long periods (ie at my desk) my hips ache feel like they are sitting out of the joint, when I get up my pubic bone hurts along with my hips and the first few steps are in a pigeon step manner.

when walking for long or short depends on the day i am having i walk pretty much a little more then a pigeon step as my pubic bone hurts like I have had a bat smacked in to it.

When sleeping it hurts to lay on either side as my hips ache after a while and then because of the constant turning my back aches.

When I first saw the phisyo she didnt feel my pubic region or hips just saw me struggle to get out of the chair me limp to her consulting room asked me to sit and explain my symptoms, she was happy with what I described gave me the tubigrip thingy (which I have to say has helped a lot during the day and I am hoping to work a little longer now) and gave me some pelvic floor exercise to do whilst sitting, she also gave me some crutches but I have found them a hinderance more then anything so I am not using them at the mo.

she advised the following turn in bed with knees together, get out of the bath with knees to gether (easier said then done) and generally if it hurts dont do it (a lot harder in principle as most day to day things hurt even pushing a chair under the table and lifting my nephew who is only 8 mths.)

I hope I havent babbled to much. but I am sure there are no xrays or tests to test for Spd just the what you say to the phisyo as to what symptoms you are having.

Take care and I hope it all gets better

Sarah

 

[Opprobrium]

I've been told the same thing, that it's pretty much diagnosed on what you say your symptoms are, although my mw said they do want to make sure it is SPD so that they don't miss something else so make sure you answer anything honestly.

My symptoms are real pain right in my pubic bone at the front which constantly aches but really hurts when I walk too much, get in & out of the car, get on & off the bed / sofa, in & out of the bath & walk up stairs. It's bad enough to wake me up when I try & roll over or move. It's taken about 3 or 4 weeks to get to this level, before that it was just a twinge, just a bit annoying & just if I walked too much but it's built up to all the time now.

I saw my mw today & she said I've got all the classic symptoms & that I'll probably just be given some exercises, advice & a support belt. If it gets too bad they'll give me crutches. She's also thankfully going to have a moan & try & get me seen earlier as I've been messed around so much trying to get an appointment.

She thinks mine was triggered by a fall at New Year that's jolted my pelvis a bit too much.

If you suspect you have it, get yourself seen by the GP / MW as soon as possible. Don't leave it to get worse. I've known a few people that have had it & left it thinking it wasn't important & they're still getting problems now after the babies have been born. One might need an operation & is still having loads of physio & problems. She said pilates has been a great help & she would recommend joining a pilates group during pg to help ease it. Also swimming is lovely for taking the weight off.

HTH

 

[Dee1985]

WHATS SPD????????????

 

[Skidoo]

Symphis Pubis Disfunction (probably spelt wrong)

 

[huggybear]

do you know if having spd can effect you having a home birth, i think i have spd and am frightened to ask my midwife incase it stops me getting my home water birth i so want.
i have had the pains and discomforts you both describe since about 18 weeks i'm 23 weeks now and in agony most of the day but have been putting up with it through fear of being made to lie on a bed in a hospital for the labour like my other two kids.

i would really apreciate your advice before i see my midwife on wednesday, if anyone out there could ask their midwives for me i would be very grateful.

 

[nicki]

Hiya,

I've got a feeling that having water births helps alot when you have SPD, whereas lying on a bed with your legs apart makes labour even more painful & uncomfortable, so i'm sure you'll be able to have the birth you want, after all they can't really tell you how to deliver your baby, its up to you, its your body!

I'm seeing my M/W tomorrow so will try and remember to ask her about it (i've got SPD) for you.

You should tell your M/W about your SPD as she can refer you for physio. Have you tried support belts? Have you got a gym ball? Some of the things my physio told me have helped relieve the pain, like posture etc.

Hope this helps.

Nicki.

 

[nicki]

Just found this website about spd & labour

http://www.babycentre.co.uk/expert/564622.html

x.

 

[huggybear]

hiya nicky thank you so much for your help i'm off to have a look at that site now, i look forward to hearing what your midwife says, i think i had it with last pregnancy but not as bad i remember the pains but they wernt as servere as b4, and i didnt know what they were last time as i had never heard of spd, now i know i will look into it more.
the problem i have with support belts is i am a size 20/22 so its a lot harder finding one other than on ebay and i keep getting outbid so i will have to persevere lol

thanks again hun hope to hear from you soon
xx

 

[nicki]

Hi again,

Just got home from seeing my M/W and I asked her about you having a home water birth & she said there wouldn't be any problem with it & it would infact be the best thing to do as you have SPD & said it would be alot less painful floating in the water rather than lying on the bed. Hooray for you!!!!

How are you feeling today?

Nicki.x

 

[huggybear]

hiya nicky
thank you so much for asking for me , i have my midwife app at 11am 2moz so i will tell her about my pains now and hopefully she can get me transfered to a physio or summat, you dont know what a weight it has taken from my shoulders you asking that for me thank you so much i owe you one.

felling a little sore today but it was food shopping day, i am tempted next time to hire a mobility scooter from the shop so i dont have to walk round lmao.
how are you hun hope your not feeling to bad

shell
x

 

[nicki]

No probs hun, glad you feel better about it all. I hope your M/W will be able to refer you to get some treatment as it unfortunately gets worse, I'm hobbling & shuffling around like an old women at the mo. & turning over in bed is quite traumatic!!

Funny you should mention a mobility scooter, yesturday we were in the car stopped at some traffic lights when an old man whizzed past in his electric wheelchair & I said to my hubby I could do with one of those, it would be soooooooo handy!!!

I'm hoping my LO comes soon, really looking forward to walking normally again. Its weird tho. coz I feel like its never going to happen & just can't imagine going through the whole labour, giving birth & holding my baby thing, it just doesn't seem real. At what point does it stop being surreal or doesn't it?!!

Good luck at your appointment tomorrow, let me know what she says.

Take Care.

Nicki.xx

 

[huggybear]

hiya nicky, i forgot to post yesterday, sorry

well i went to the midwife yesterday and basically she said i was silly worrying about labour when i should be concentratiing on pregnancy now, she did understand why i hadnt said anything tho and sympathised with my feelings, she has confirmed its spd and also changed my prenancy notes from hospital to home birth which she wouldnt do before!!!???? think she was making a point that spd wont effect my labour yipee!!!!
anyway she has wrote a letter to our local hospital physio dept to have me fitted for a dia-belt? is this like the maternity support belts you can get on ebay? i have tried researching dia-belt on yahoo but cant find anything anyway thank you so much for giving me the confidence to tell her and ask for advice hopefully this belt thingy will help me till i have baby.
had a really bad night last night, back was killing me and found it very hard to sleep, hubby even heard my hips click when i turned over in bed he said it sounded like a barbie dolls knee joints clicking if that makes sense well thats probs the one and only time in my liffe i've been put in the same description of barbie lmao
will let you know how i get on at physio and thanks again hun for your help.
shell
xx

 

[nicki]

Hi Shell,

I'm so glad it went well for you at the midwives & its really good news you can have your homebirth - woohoo - I'm not sure what those dia-belts are, i guess they are like the normal support belts

I had a really bad night last night too. What with having to get up and pee and having loads of period type pains & pain in my bach my spd has got alot worse, i'm just hoping that my pelvis has opened up more so that means my bub will make an appearence very soon!. but God turning over in bed is painful. I hope your physio will be able to help you, its not nice

If I can be of any more help i'll try my bestest!!!

Take care & speak soon hun.

Nicki.x

 

[huggybear]

hiya nicky hun do you have msn? we could have a propper natter then

 

[nicki]

Unfortunately I don't.
A while ago I set it all up then our computer went all funny, my hubby told me off & I had to delete it! As soon as I got rid of it our computer worked properly, so i'm not allowed it
I've got Windows messenger which the p.c doesn't seem to mind if thats any help, i'm not that good with computers!!

In the mean time i'll PM you with my email address.

Nicki.x

 

[huggybear]

hiya nicky just thought i'd let ya know i got my appointment for the hospital, i get my diabelt fitted on thursday, will let you know how i get on.
also i realised the other night when i was getting comfy in bede if i move my knees together my front pelvis grinds further proof its getting worse, gona get my crutches out later and see if the helps when going loo in the night.
how are you doing anyway hun, not long left for you now if i remember right.