No / This paper presents the main findings of a systematic literature review that was
undertaken to investigate whether physiotherapist-guided exercise is effective in
reducing the severity of pregnancy-related pelvic girdle pain (PPGP). Seven
electronic databases were systematically searched. Studies that met the inclusion
criteria were assessed for methodological quality and internal validity. Five primary
randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and one post-partum follow-up study were
included in the review. The authors of all six studies incorporated advice and
physiotherapist-guided exercise, either in a group setting or as part of an individualized
exercise programme, into at least one of their intervention groups, with or
without the addition of a pelvic support belt, acupuncture or other physiotherapy
treatment modality. Two of the primary RCTs found that exercise and advice
effectively reduced pre-partum PPGP. One study concluded that exercise had no
additional value beyond simply supplying a pelvic support belt and advice. The
results of another trial supported the use of physiotherapist-guided stabilization
exercises for the treatment of post-partum PPGP. Yet another study did not find
any differences between the intervention groups involved. The works included in
this review all reported that PPGP reduced over time, regardless of the intervention
used to treat it, suggesting that the greatest factor influencing the resolution of
PPGP is time rather than exercise. The findings do not support the routine use of
physiotherapist-guided exercise in the treatment of all women with PPGP. Advice,
information and a non-elastic pelvic support belt should be offered to women with
pre-partum PPGP, whereas patients with persistent symptoms of post-partum
PPGP should receive individualized physiotherapist-guided exercise aimed at stabilizing
the pelvic area as part of a wider package of physiotherapy treatment.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:BRADFORD/oai:bradscholars.brad.ac.uk:10454/9926 |
| Date | 08 1900 |
| Creators | Bromley, R., Bagley, Pamela J. |
| Source Sets | Bradford Scholars |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Article, No full-text in the repository |
| Relation | http://www.csp.org.uk/sites/files/csp/secure/bromley.pdf |
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