SPD - Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction

posted on 17 July 2011 | posted in General

This is a very common complaint from women during and after their pregnancy.
The pelvis is made up of two wings of bone and is joined to the spine and the sacrum. In the front the two bones join together forming the symphysis pubis. The join is made of a fibrocartilaginous tissue that is reinforced by several ligaments. Because of the hormone relaxin the joint softens to allow the pelvis to move and allow for childbirth. This softening can cause a lot of discomfort and instability in the pelvis.
Women may feel quite wobbly with pain in the hips, lower back, groin area, lower abdomen and in their legs. They may even feel a "clicking"sensation in the sacral area around the sacral iliac joint. It is important to be aware of these symptoms and there are things you can do yourself prevent these symptoms from worsening.

You can do this by:

  • Avoiding "scissor" like actions with your legs and twisting movements with your lower body.
  • Sleeping with a pillow between your knees and ankles helps reduce the symptoms, especially by keeping our knees together when turning over or getting out of bed.
  • When seated, sit on a raised cushion or a wedge sloping forward that enable your hips to be higher than your knees. This takes the weight off the pubis by rotating your pelvis forward.
  • When getting out a chair keep your knees together. This reduces the stress on symphysis pubis .
  • When climbing the stairs, do it slowly, one stair at a time.
  • If you swim, avoid the breaststroke as the frog leg position increases the movenment in the symphysis pubis. Try the front crawl or backstroke if it does not cause you discomfort.
  • Take care when getting in and out of the car. Keep your knees together to avoid stretching the pubis area.
I can help to reduce the discomfort by strengthening the muscles in the legs and the pelvic region. Tension and pain may build up in other areas of the body as a result of SPD and can also be addressed.
 
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