The effectiveness of using rigid pelvic belts AM-PES-05 and AM-PC-02
Women with symphysis pubis and posterior pelvis dysfunction have a lot of difficulties, decreasing their quality of life, during pregnancy. The pain id different: it may be mild or severe and it depends on the intensity. It’s unilateral or bilateral and can be located in the groin and medial aspect of thigh. Together with groin pain, the women can feel sacroiliac, low back and subprapubic pain. It’s worst during weight-bearing activities such as lifting one leg. Women also may hear clicking sound and feel grinding sensation in the joint. Antalgic position can result with waddling gait.
In recent years more and more women suffer from symphysis pubic dysfunction. According to MacLennans, 31,7% of their respondents had experienced antenatal symphysis pubic pain.1
The most important factor of pelvic (sacroiliac joints) and symphysis pubic pain during pregnancy is instability of the pelvic girdle2,3. What is more, the others important factors are increasing in the reproductive or maternal hormones and change in the center of gravity, caused by increasing weight4,5.
Nilsson-Wikmar et al during Congress on Low Back and Pelvic Pain in Austria in 1998 showed that the patient’s education and using the pelvic belts are important for pain relief and improve daily activities. Ostgaard et al in ‘Spine’ magazine in 1994 published their pregnant women with posterior pelvic and symphysis pubic dysfunction studies. Women was educated about their conditions and they wore nonelastic pelvic belt. 83% of these women experienced reduced problems when wearing the belt such as AM-PC-02 or AM-PES-05. The authors concluded that the use of a nonelastic sacroiliac belt reduced posterior pelvic joint problems in a large majority of the women.
Other studies was investigated by Berg et al and they showed that, of 54 pregnant women with low back pain and who used a rigid belt, 39 experienced pain reducing during using the belts such as AM-PES-02 or AM-PES-05. The studies was published in ‘Obstet Gynecology’ in 1988.
Vleeming A. in his studies about biomechanical effects of pelvic belts in 1992, concluded that rigid pelvic support belt such as AM-PES-05 or AM-PC-02 enhances stability in the pelvis by decreasing movement at the sacroiliac joints.
Sacroiliac instability and more prone to diastasis symphysis pubis (DSP) is always connected with pain and discomfort for pregnant women. Studies described above show that rigid pelvic belts such as AM-PC-02 or AM-PES-05 reduce the pain significantly in the pelvic area.
Sylwia Seweryn
Physical Therapist
Member of AAOP
POSTURE DURING PREGNANCY
1 MacLennan A, MacLennan S, Symptom-giving pelvic girdle relaxation of pregnancy, postnatal pelvic joint syndrome and developmental dysplasia of the hip, Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand. 1997; 76:760-764.
2 Vleeming A, Stoeckart R, Relation between form and function in the sacroiliac joint, part 1: clinical anatomical aspects. Spine. 1990;15:130-132.
3 Snijders C, Vleeming A, Stoeckart R. Transfer of lumbosacral load to iliac bones and legs, part 1: biomechanics of self-bracing of the sacroiliac joints and its significance for treatment and exercise. Clin Biomech. 1993; 8:285-294.
4 Vleeming A, Pool-Goudzwaard A, Stoeckart R, et al. The posterior layer of the thoracolumbar fascia. Spine. 1995;20:753-758.
5 Vleeming A, Pool-Goudzwaard A, Hammudoghlu D, et al. The function of the long dorsal sacroiliac ligament: its implication for understanding low back pain. Spine. 1996; 21:556-562.
