Pregnancy is a rollercoaster, and with the highs there are also some lows.

Hormones can drive morning sickness, mood swings, not to mention the aches and pains from an ever-changing body.

We can manage the aches and pains at least.

Pregnancy-related pelvic pain can present as back, hip, groin and/or thigh pain. It is common as everyone’s body is challenged by changes in weight, size, shape, ligament laxity and of course the growth of bub.

As the foetus grows through pregnancy the body will adapt and so postural changes occur.

The arch in the lower back deepens which can place more pressure through joints and muscles.

The shoulders can also round forward as there is growth in breast tissue. This extra weight can create strain between the shoulder blades and even lead to neck pain.

Postural awareness can be helpful, especially if utilised early in pregnancy.

A useful exercise is to imagine you are a puppet, with a single string attached to the top of your head.

The string is pulled and your body follows. This draws you up and elongates the spine. The shoulders will also fall back into a more suitable position.

If you find it difficult to find a comfortable sleeping position, lying on your side with a pillow between your knees can help keep your hips in a neutral position.

This will take some strain off the muscles and joints of the hip, pelvis and back.

Another important adaptation occurs in the sacroiliac joint (SIJ). It’s the part of the body which you can thank for your restless sleep!  

It is a joint made up between the sacrum (a bone that comprises the bottom of your spine) and the pelvis.

Strain through your SIJ may cause pain when getting out of your car, rolling over in bed, sitting for long periods or getting up out of your chair.

The SIJ is a stiff, rigid joint with minimal movement as it is designed for stability, however through pregnancy the ligaments in the joint become more elastic and so the joint becomes more flexible.

Specific hormones bring on this change in order to prepare your body for childbirth.

With this newfound flexibility the SIJ can sacrifice some of its usual stability. This can be a primary reason for pain as it can lead to imbalances through the pelvis, hips and lower back joints.

The sacrum may tilt to the right for one person, and then in the next the pelvis may shift forward on the left-hand side.

These positional changes can jam up joints and switch off important postural muscles.   

Manual therapy can help alleviate pregnancy pain by addressing these issues.

Techniques such as massage, joint mobilisation, stretching and even dry needling can effectively release tight muscles and restricted joints so that the body can move more freely.  

Activating and strengthening muscles which help provide stability to the pelvis can also improve the function of the pelvic area.

Gluteal muscles (the ones the give us a nice perky bottom) are essential for important, basic movements such as standing from a seated position and walking.  

Here are two exercises which can help release commonly tight muscles and activate muscles which may not be firing optimally.

If you experience pain (outside of the normal stretch or workout burn) either back off the intensity or stop entirely until you can speak with a health professional.

There are also products which can help alleviate pregnancy pelvic pain. The most popular products are SIJ belts, which can range in price, quality and comfort levels.

They work by increasing the stability of the SI joints by compressing the pelvis and sacrum.

Keep in mind that as we aren’t addressing the issues at the cause of the problem, it is more of a Band-Aid, however pregnancy is not a permanent condition.

The combination of manual therapy with some stretching and strengthening work can assist in the management of pregnancy pain. You don’t have to put up with the pain, especially if it’s making daily tasks difficult.

At the end of the day, nine months will be a blink in comparison to the lifetime of fulfilment ahead of you.