Pregnancy & Postpartum Pain
Low back, pelvic, and SI joint pain through pregnancy and postpartum recovery.
Pregnancy- and postpartum-related musculoskeletal pain most commonly involves the lumbar spine, sacroiliac (SI) joints, pubic symphysis, and pelvic floor. Up to 70% of pregnant women experience low back pain and 20% experience pelvic girdle pain at some point during pregnancy (Vleeming et al., European Spine Journal 2008). The hormone relaxin, combined with a rapidly shifting center of gravity and increased lumbar lordosis, creates significant biomechanical demand on the pelvis and spine.
Common presentations include low back pain that worsens with prolonged standing or sitting, sharp SI joint pain with rolling over in bed or getting in/out of a car, pubic symphysis pain with walking or single-leg activities, sciatic-type leg symptoms, and postpartum core, hip, and pelvic floor weakness with persistent low back or pelvic pain after delivery.
Pregnancy-related pain can affect women in any pregnancy, but is more common in those with prior low back or pelvic pain, multiparous pregnancies, higher BMI, demanding work requiring lifting or prolonged standing, and prior trauma to the pelvis. Postpartum symptoms are amplified in women returning quickly to high-impact exercise without addressing core and pelvic floor recovery.
A combined, root-cause approach.
Clinical practice guidelines (ACOG; JOSPT 2022) support manual therapy and supervised exercise as first-line care for pregnancy-related back and pelvic pain. We use pregnancy-safe positioning (side-lying tables, no abdominal pressure), gentle SI and lumbar mobilization, targeted soft-tissue therapy for the QL, hip flexors, and glutes, and trimester-appropriate strengthening for the deep core, glutes, and pelvic stabilizers. Postpartum, we structure a graded return-to-running and return-to-lifting plan around your individual recovery.
- Gentle, pregnancy-safe adjustments
- Soft-tissue therapy
- Pelvic and SI joint stability rehab
- Postpartum return-to-activity programming
Related Conditions
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Patellofemoral pain syndrome — front-of-knee pain triggered by running and repetitive loading.
IT Band Syndrome
Sharp pain on the outside of the knee or hip from IT band and TFL dysfunction.
Postural Dysfunction
Forward head, rounded shoulders, and anterior pelvic tilt from prolonged sitting and screen time.