Manual Therapy
Volume 15, Issue 6 , Pages 522-528, December 2010

Pelvic girdle pain: Potential risk factors in pregnancy in relation to disability and pain intensity three months postpartum

  • Hilde Stendal Robinson

      Affiliations

    • Department of Nursing and Health Sciences, Institute of Health and Society, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1153, Blindern, N-0318 Oslo, Norway
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. Tel.: +47 22858421; fax: +47 22858411.
    • ,
  • Anne Marit Mengshoel

      Affiliations

    • Department of Nursing and Health Sciences, Institute of Health and Society, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1153, Blindern, N-0318 Oslo, Norway
    • ,
  • Marit B. Veierød

      Affiliations

    • Department of Biostatistics, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, N-0317 Oslo, Norway
    • ,
  • Nina Vøllestad

      Affiliations

    • Department of Nursing and Health Sciences, Institute of Health and Society, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1153, Blindern, N-0318 Oslo, Norway

Received 4 March 2010; received in revised form 6 May 2010; accepted 10 May 2010. published online 12 July 2010.

Abstract 

The objective of this prospective cohort study was to examine how results of clinical tests on women with pelvic girdle pain (PGP) in late pregnancy were associated with disability and pain intensity 12 weeks postpartum controlling for socio-demographical and psychological factors.

Out of the 283 women clinically examined in gestation week 30, 179 were considered afflicted from PGP and constituted the study sample.

Potential risk factors were assessed by questionnaires (at inclusion and in gestation week 30) and clinical examination in gestation week 30. The clinical examination included pain provocation tests for the pelvis as well as the active straight leg raise test. We used pain intensity and disability (disability rating index, DRI) as response variables, derived from questionnaires 12 weeks postpartum.

Using multivariable linear regression analyses, sum of pain provocation tests and pre-pregnancy low back pain (LBP) were significantly associated with DRI 12 weeks postpartum. Furthermore, sum of pain provocation tests and number of pain sites were significantly associated with pain intensity.

In conclusion, we found that when including results of clinical tests as risk factors together with socio-demographical and psychological factors in multivariable regression models, the clinical risk factors are the ones that remain significant. These results are of clinical importance because they seem to have the potential to identify women with a poor prognosis.

Keywords: Lumbopelvic pain, Postpartum pelvic girdle pain, Clinical examination, DRI

To access this article, please choose from the options below

Login to an existing account or Register a new account.

  • Purchase this article for 31.50 USD (You must login/register to purchase this article)

    Online access for 24 hours. The PDF version can be downloaded as your permanent record.

  • Subscribe to this title

    Get unlimited online access to this article and all other articles in this title 24/7 for one year.

  • Claim access now

    For current subscribers with Society Membership or Account Number.

  • Visit SciVerse ScienceDirect to see if you have access via your institution.
 

PII: S1356-689X(10)00082-2

doi:10.1016/j.math.2010.05.007

Manual Therapy
Volume 15, Issue 6 , Pages 522-528, December 2010

Article Tools

* Image Usage & Resolution