Pelvic girdle pain postpartum? Here's how you can start relieving it.

Chances are if you’re searching about pelvic pain after pregnancy, you had it during pregnancy as well. Am I right? 

See, here’s the thing- pelvic pain, or SPD/PGP, is a common occurrence during pregnancy. Unfortunately it’s also often brushed off as normal during pregnancy and many have been told “oh, it will resolve after the baby comes out.”

And if you’re here, chances are it hasn't been resolved. 

If that is your experience, I first want to tell you that you aren’t alone. Many of my clients have been through a similar experience. 

It can also be extra frustrating when you’ve seemingly tried all the things- belly band, belt, stretching, chiropractor, physical therapy, acupuncture, or a combination of many of these. 

Maybe you saw some relief but it didn’t last or you had to have regular appointments and adjustments to keep it at bay. 

Pelvic pain can be very frustrating to figure out. Why? Because it is a very individual experience. 

Some people's pelvic pain will magically disappear the minute the baby comes out. Others will find physical therapy or chiropractic care a huge relief. Others may not. 

It really depends. 

This is where I come in. 

Quick PSA- If you haven’t been to a pelvic floor physical therapist after birth, especially if you struggle with pelvic pain, and you have access to one- set up a visit!

In today’s blog, I’m going to share with you my 3 step process for helping my clients manage pelvic pain along with a few exercise examples that you can try for yourself. 

Also remember that while these exercises are merely suggestions, if these don’t work for you there are plenty more where those come from!

First, let’s do a quick overview of pelvic pain and some of the possible contributors to it. 

The Powerful, Almighty Pelvis

Your pelvis is pretty dang cool. I mean, just look at it! 

During pregnancy, your pelvis and the structures- muscles, etc surrounding it go through a tremendous amount of change. Hips are getting wider, muscles are lengthening in some places and shortening in others to accommodate that. And while muscles naturally lengthen and shorten, what you may find is that some muscle recruitments take a backseat to others- so strength may change in the surrounding musculature. None of this is bad or wrong. The body is pretty freaking amazing so these changes are necessary to accommodate a growing baby(ies) and prepare for birth. 

While those physical changes are happening, there’s also hormonal changes going on that can have an impact on pain. Now, I know the word ‘relaxin’ just popped into your head, so I want to address that first. 

Relaxin is a hormone secreted by the placenta that dilates the cervix, prepares and “relaxes” your body for labor, and also plays a role in oxytocin secretion during labor. 

Relaxin is also secreted by the ovary, which is why you’ll hear about it continuing in lower doses postpartum. Levels of relaxin also increase after ovulation in the latter part of the menstrual cycle.

This hormone is commonly blamed for pelvic pain and other pregnancy discomforts. But when does relaxin really play a role and when does it not? I’ve heard from people that relaxin has been to blame for their pain as early as 20 weeks, when their body is clearly not preparing for birth, and as far out as 2 years postpartum. 

While Relaxin may play a role in pelvic pain, it likely isn’t the bad guy. It’s one consideration out of many when it comes to pelvic pain. 

What are some other considerations? Well, I’d love to tell you!

Consider the HATS

When it comes to considerations for pelvic pain, I like to take a look at what I call the HATTS. 

History

Alignment

Tension

Tendencies

Strength

These are the first 5 things I look at when beginning to work with a client with pelvic pain or pelvic health struggles. Then we use what we find to create a plan to help them build strength, reduce pain and symptoms, and feel more confident in movement. 

For a deeper explanation of the HATTS and how you can use these things to help you begin reducing pain during movement, join my pelvic pain workshop here. 

Yes, movement matters. Movement that you can tolerate matters more.

When I talk to people who experience pelvic pain, they are often told either there’s nothing they can do (i.e. the provider doesn’t know what to recommend the patient do) or that they should try yoga, stretching, or simply just staying active will help.

If you’ve heard something similar, you may be wondering the same thing, HOW when you have pelvic pain so bad you can barely move? Or you’ve taken it upon yourself to find the answers, only to find exercises that you can’t do you can only find stretches that don’t help.

If you’ve done all the stretches and tried the yoga, I’m here to tell you that it isn’t just you. This is a common experience among my clients and people I speak with.

Stretching can play a role in pain management, but it often needs to be combined with 2 important things for longer term management and relief. Those things are:

Mobility- mobility can help release sticky spots and release tension in tight muscles that may contribute to pain

Strength- A balanced strength training routine that takes into account possible weak links and problem areas. 

This is my 3-step method for creating workouts that actually help my clients reduce and manage pain.

And if you’re wondering….

Why strength training?

Because it is incredibly adaptable. If something causes pain, there’s always another exercise or modification you can make to reduce pain. 

Studies show that building strength helps reduce pain. 

And over the last 6 years of working with people experiencing these and other types of pain, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard “I really underestimated the importance of strength when it comes to relieving my pain.”

While I can’t tell you for certain WHY you’re still experiencing pain (it could be any number of things or a combination of any of those things), I can tell you that you don’t just have to live with it. There ARE things you can do to reduce and manage pain, and I hope this article gives you a solid place to start.

Interested in learning more about working with me 1:1? Click here for services and programs.

Check out my YouTube channel for exercise examples, demonstrations, and other helpful information!