SPD - any hints???

Well its my 4th pregnancy and im not getting any younger LOL

I now know I have SPD that is really awful and tiring with a 14 month old.

Any hints for those who also suffer from this?

Lindie

I also suffer from this and can really feel for you! I have not found there is anything which really helps, some of the physiotherapy belts you can buy give slight relief, but theres not much else that I know of, sorry. I always get the doctor to induce me 2 weeks early because I am normally in agony by then! Good luck!

Pilates!!!! My chiro has given me gentle pilates to strengthen after massage to loosen the too tight muscles. The effect has been amazing. I do a few every day and the pain has eased significantly. I had NO pain with my first pregnancy (I was doing regular pilates then) and this time I wasn't and the pain started around 20 weeks. I am no where near as bad as some of the women here (their ability to function with their pain is amazing) but it has helped. Anything is worth a try!!

I recommend an osteo. I'm seeing one for SPD that still dogs me, apparently because I'm still breastfeeding. It has helped me far, far more than any physio did before or after the birth.

Hi Lindie

There are some good suggestions from the other posts but here is my thoughts.
You should get your husband to send you to a luxury health resort for a few months. Perhaps somewhere near Fiji. You could have a massage and a herbal spa everyday. Your bed will be sprinkled with fresh rose petals every night. There will be a team of top chefs waiting to cook for you. A staff of 15 people will be there to pamper you and grant your every desire. You will have the use of a luxury car with a driver to take you sightseeing.

Or you could try taking a couple of panadeine.

:)

Alan, does my HBA insurance cover that in extras? (cos I'm loathe to touch panadeine whilst BFing, so that only leaves one of your options...) ;)

I think Alan's 1st suggestion is the way to go... that way you can stay off the Panadeine for a bit longer!!!

AAwww ALAN - are you taking the PI$$ out of me or not LOL. If our PHI insurance would cover that legitimately I would do it...LMAO, But heh if your offering panadeine Im a taking!!!!! Thanks anyway, It was a nice dream/read/wish!!!!!

Michelle71 - Thanks but right now I have some trouble just walking to the park and back the mere thought of doing Pilates right now is in the distant future along with that glass of wine and pate LOL, Thank you so much but I really am not going to be able to get to that level, although DH is pretty good in the massage area so that part of the sugestion is definately worth a go. Im not far from my wheat pack at any given time LOL


Thanks again Everyone, Ill just suck it up with a big glass of "toughen up!!!" LOL

Lindie

Hello, I've been seeing a physio at the hospy and they have been fantastic. So far every week they give me a bum massage (LOL no it's actually the muscles at the back of my hips) and they've given me some stretches and bum muscle exercises that are helping HEAPS. I'm still sore but now I feel it's manageable. They gave me the tube thing to wear but I just can't bring myself to do it *yet*.

Also they give you this big list of things to avoid (ie no heavy lifting, no pushing a shopping trolley around) and things to do (keep your weight evenly on both feet, knees together getting in/out car, take smaller steps when you walk) and it has really made a difference.

I found this helped:
http://www.familyosteopath.co.uk/htm...ilisation.html

was also advised to put ice on for 10 mens twice a day due to inflamation. was assured that it could possibly go away if I kept this up.

One thing I could no longer do was 'suck it up'. That's pretty much what the last physio told me and I didn't think it was good enough. So, I asked around and was referred (by an osteo) to an osteo near me who could help. Trust me, the exercises they give you, as well as the right manipulations, have you feeling infinitely better. You still have to be careful in your movements because of the extra relaxin, but you can manage it better, so that when it flares up you know it's because you have let the area get tight (from not stretching correctly), or because you have let your movements get sloppy (uneven weight distribution).
You DO NOT have to live with the sledgehammer feeling, and any professional who tells you you do just doesn't know what to do about it, so please get a second opinion like I did. Put it this way, I'm back horse-riding, firefighting, longer-duration baby-wearing and my SPD has gone from horrendous to barely noticeable (noticeable when I've not nurtured myself with 4 mins of stretching).
It's up to you. If you're happy being told you need to suck it up because it's 'one of those things' or it 'goes with the territory', then that's fine. Just know that there are things you can do now to get it better. They'll tell you to wait till after the baby is born, but it's not true :)
I just wasn't going to take it lying down (literally, sometimes!!).

Lindie - my pilates is FAR from energetic. I'm not that skilled :cryinglaugh: The exercises I have done are on my hands and knees and moving the (for example) left arm and right leg out in front / behind only as far as you can while holding in your core (if you have done some pilates you will know what I mean). There are some DVD's with simple, no movement core strengthening exercises sitting on a swiss / exercise ball too that is really good for beginners (ie me!!) and doesn't increase the pressure in the pelvis. I could never do the really intensive pilates and only ever stayed at the basic. A good instructor who deals with beginners and the pregnant person would be good. I got lucky with a chiro who uses these techniques as part of a wholistic management.

You don't need to suck it up. It really hurts and makes movement so uncomfortable / painful :hug:

Well last night I thought "heh how hard can a bit of stretching be", so I got the heatpacks out and warmed the area up first and did a bit of longer ligament stretching and I have to tell you I slept so so so much better!!!!

IK - thanks so much, glad I read your post because I thought SPD was an over stretching of the area and thought doing more would be horrendous but NO!!!! what excercises do you do to keep it from coming back. I have PHI so I think I will request going to see someone in this field to help out!!!! Oh and no I am not able at this stage to just let it go, I was joking with the "suck it up...." comment.

Michelle71 - I had been told by one of my BB group ladies about the swiss ball thing so might have to invest in one this coming week!!! after paying my $1650 planning and management fee!!!! Obs they get you heh!!!!

Thanks everyone


Lindie

I've had SPD since about 20 weeks, and I'm a former ballet dancer with great core strength and flexibility (pilates was invented as rehab for ballet dancers). And I still have the pain and problem (can't walk to the park). I've got a brace for when I want to do something energetic like walk around my area or do some gardening - this makes a world of difference. Avoiding the aggravating factors also makes a huge difference - symmetrical stress on the pelvis is much more comfortable than asymmetrical stress. For example, I can easily sit with the soles of my feet together and knees touching the floor (symmetrical) but my experience driving a shopping trolley last week sent me to the couch with panadol for half a day!!! I also find that if I'm doing somehting and it is giving me trouble, if I concentrate on doing a co-contraction (part of pilates) of my deep abs and a couple of other muscles to hold my pelvis steady, then this also helps.

On the positive side, my Dr thinks it is a good thing as it shows the pelvis will be able to easily move during labour - therefore improving the pelvic outlet size and hopefully reducing any need for intervention. Good to know there is a positive side!!!

The thing about SPD is the muscles in your hips and lower back, bottom and upper thighs will try to compensate for the extra movement in your pelvic frame, and so a lot of the pain and discomfort comes when these muscles over-tighten and spasm. So any targeted stretching of the correct muscles means they are able to better support the pelvis in the way they're supposed to. BTW, the SPD is a problem of ligaments stretching (not muscles) - all you've got to help it is what muscles you can support the area with.

If one physio/osteo/dr/pilates instructor is not helpful, find another. Apparently the physios at my hospy see DOZENS of women in various stages and states of pain, so they are very sympathetic and kind and helpful. Anyone telling you to 'suck it up' is, in my opinion, not qualified to comment and shouldn't be working with chronic pain of any type.

ETA Feathertop, I hear you on the Shopping Trolley!!! They are BANNED from here on in and I'll be getting my groceries home delivered instead (since DH is away for several months)!!

Yep, the stretching is for those compensating muscles.
You should see an osteo or similar to straighten your pelvis as much as possible (the muscles will have pushed it out of alignment) BEFORE doing any stretching. They will get into the trigger points and soften them out so that you can then maintain it with stretches :)
I'm glad you won't suck it up! I was just alarmed when you joked about it because that's what I told myself, backed up by older women who would just say 'it's part of the territory, welcome to motherhood', and I thought that was crap!