Pelvic girdle pain can be debilitating pain in the pelvis, either in the front of the pelvis (SPD or pubic symphysis dysfunction) or in the back of the pelvis towards one side (SJD or SI Joint Dysfunction, sometimes described as sciatic or low back pain).
Unfortunately, many are led to believe that pelvic girdle pain is a requirement of pregnancy and that there is nothing we can do to fix it other than giving birth. This could mean months of unnecessary pain!
You do not need to be in pain as a requirement of pregnancy! Let’s explore two common causes of pelvic girdle pain, so we can finally find some relief!
2 Causes of Pelvic Girdle Pain
You may think if something hurts, we need to stretch it more. We commonly get DMs on Instagram asking us for the best stretches for pelvic girdle pain.
But, the thing is that more stretching may actually cause more pain!
During pregnancy, we have the hormone relaxin that increases the laxity of the joints (we want extra movement = more space in the pelvis for these big ole head babies).
Relaxin does NOT cause pelvic girdle pain, nor do increased levels of it mean you are more prone. But, if we cannot stabilize the pelvic joint with the extra movement caused by relaxin, then we may experience pelvic girdle pain.
Pelvic girdle pain is rather caused by TOO MUCH movement happening in the pelvic joints! The two main causes of pelvic girdle pain include:
- Pelvic Position or Asymmetry: This means that the pelvis is not properly aligned, and the ability to form closure at the pelvic joints can be compromised. If the pelvic joint is not able to form closure, then it may not transfer force well and could cause pain.
- Muscular coordination: The muscles and fascial connections across the pelvic joints force closure or stabilize the joints. If this coordination is weakened or disconnected, we may experience pelvic pain due to increased movement occurring at the pelvic joints.
Let’s explore the two main causes of pelvic girdle pain, with some solutions for relief, as well!
You do not need to be in pain! We break down pelvic positioning and muscular coordination in our pelvic stability program and in our pelvic girdle webinar!
1) Pelvic Position or Asymmetry
Pelvic positioning is how the pelvis is set up to transfer force during movement.
Ideally, when we walk and shift our weight from leg to leg, the pelvis also shifts so the pelvic joints can form and force closure with movement better.
When we shift our weight into one leg, that leg tends to find more internal rotation, and then when we shift to the other leg during our normal walking gait, it will transition from an external rotation to an internal rotation during the gait cycle.
We tend to see issues when this transition from external to internal does not happen, and the pelvis is positioned less optimally.
Fortunately, understanding how the pelvis is positioned can help tremendously with finding relief! Usually one of the first things I will do when I experience pelvic girdle pain is to focus on shifting my pelvic position!
Find comfort and relief from pelvic girdle pain throughout your pregnancy and postpartum period! This program incorporates myofascial sling focused exercises to stabilize across the pelvic girdle joints.
- 3 Week Program, 9 Workouts
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There are a few tools we can use to “fix” the pelvic position!
- We can focus on physically shifting the pelvis with movement (see the video below for some tips).
- We can see a chiropractor or physical therapist for an adjustment.
- We can release “tight” muscles that are pulling the pelvis into a less optimal position (working with a professional can help you better understand this as well).
Pelvic Stability Client Reviews
Another component of pelvic positioning is being able to shift our weight from leg to leg and also have the pelvis shift its position!
The standing hip shift is one technique we can use to find this shifting in the pelvic position!
Watch the video below for a breakdown of how to do this exercise!
2) Muscular Coordination
After we adjust the pelvic position, we can then focus on muscular coordination.
The muscles and fascial connection across these pelvic joints help with force closure or pulling the joint together during movement.
If this connection is weakened or disconnected, we could see more issues! So the solution for pelvic girdle pain is usually not more stretching or mobility, but rather strengthening!
We have several myofascial slings that cross the pelvic girdle to stabilize the pelvic joints and also support the functional movement, such as walking!
If the connection of these slings is uncoordinated, we could see issues.
In our prenatal fitness programs, we incorporate exercises that strengthen the connection of these myofascial slings to support your comfort and strength throughout pregnancy!
We offer our 40-week prenatal strength program in an app that can be started at any time as it syncs to your current week of pregnancy.
We also offer our program on-demand in a video that you follow along as you workout at the same time.
The back pelvic joints are supported primarily by the posterior oblique sling, deep longitudinal sling, and lateral slings. We can focus on exercises such as the reverse lunge row, single leg or unilaterally loaded movements, and hinge movements to support the connection of these slings.
Watch the reverse lunge row video below for a breakdown of an exercise to support back pelvic girdle pain!
The front pelvic joint is primarily supported by the anterior oblique sling and lateral slings. Focusing on exercises that have a single leg or unilateral focus plus a cross body from the oblique to opposite adductor can help to stabilize this pelvic joint.
Watch the video below for an exercise example of an anterior oblique sling movement.
You do NOT need to be in pain!
Pelvic girdle pain is NOT a requirement of pregnancy, nor do you need to wait til birth for relief.
During my first pregnancy, I remember bringing up some pelvic pain to my provider and the response was: “It will go away when you give birth.” The expectation was that I would just remain in pain until I delivered with no possible solution available.
I went and saw a chiropractor, and my pain was immediately relieved thanks to an adjustment in my pelvic position. Then I was able to focus on strengthening the musculature around my pelvis to support comfort.
During my subsequent pregnancies, I had a better understanding on how to manage pelvic girdle pain and have had the fortune to support hundreds of folks during their pregnancy to stay comfortable and find relief!
Understand how to approach training clients throughout pregnancy, prepare for birth, and then recover in the postpartum as they return to fitness!
- 12.5 hour of on-demand videos
- 6 Guest Lectures from Pelvic Floor PTs
- Lifetime Access of Program
- Earn 1.3 NASM CEUs and 13 AFAA CEUs
Learn my approach to pelvic girdle relief in our pelvic stability program for prenatal or postnatal athletes, our upcoming webinar on pelvic girdle pain (included in our pelvic stability program), and in our pre/postnatal fitness trainer course!