Pelvic Girdle Pain / SPD
Pregnancy brings so many new sensations in your body, but the kind that stops you mid-step, makes rolling over in bed a whole operation, or leaves you wincing every time you put weight on one leg is not something you should have to push through. If pelvic pain has become part of your daily landscape since getting pregnant, you are probably dealing with pelvic girdle pain, and the right help can make a real difference.
What it is and how it feels: Pelvic girdle pain, usually referred to as PGP, describes pain in any of the joints that form the pelvic ring. Some people feel it across the sacroiliac joints at the back of the pelvis, which run either side of the base of the spine. Others experience it at the front, where the two sides of the pubic bone meet in the middle. This front-of-pelvis pain is often called symphysis pubis dysfunction, or SPD (sometimes written as PSD), and you may find either term comes up when you search. Some people have both going on at once.
Whatever the location, the experience tends to be similar: a pelvis that hurts when it has to work. Walking, climbing stairs, getting in and out of the car, turning over in bed at night, or even standing on one foot while getting dressed can all become uncomfortable or genuinely sore. Some women describe a grinding or clicking sensation. Others feel a dull, constant ache, or sharp pain on movement. It can come on gradually or arrive more suddenly, and it tends to worsen as pregnancy progresses. It is far more common than most people realise, and it is not a sign that anything has gone wrong. But it is also not something you have to simply manage through.
Why it happens
During pregnancy, your body produces a hormone called relaxin, which gradually softens the ligaments around the pelvis. This is entirely normal and serves an important purpose for birth. The challenge is that looser ligaments can also mean less stability in the pelvic joints, and when those joints begin to move unevenly or struggle to share the load of a growing pregnancy, pain tends to follow.
Several things can influence whether PGP develops and how much it affects you: the position and weight of the baby, how your posture has shifted as your centre of gravity has changed, how much time you spend on your feet, and whether you had any pelvic or lower back problems before pregnancy. For most women it develops during the second or third trimester, though it can begin earlier.
How we approach it at BTC
The right starting point is a pregnancy osteopath. Our pregnancy osteopaths are trained to work safely and comfortably with women throughout every stage of pregnancy, and they understand how the pregnant body moves and responds.
At your first appointment, the osteopath will assess how the different joints of the pelvis are working together, where load is being unevenly distributed, and what is driving the pain. Treatment is hands-on, gentle, and specifically adapted for pregnancy. The aim is to restore better movement and balance across the pelvis, reduce the strain on the joints that are causing trouble, and help you feel more at ease in your body for the rest of the pregnancy.
Ready to book your appointment?
We offer a range of treatments to help you feel your best. Book online,
call us or visit our centre to schedule your appointment.
You do not need a confirmed diagnosis to come in
Your midwife or GP may have already told you that you have PGP or SPD. Or you may just know that your pelvis has been increasingly painful and no one has quite named it yet. Either way, you do not need a label before booking. If you are pregnant and your pelvis is hurting, that is enough reason to come and see us.
This also applies if you are unsure whether what you have is PGP, sacroiliac pain, SPD, or something else. These distinctions matter clinically, but the osteopath will work that out at your appointment. What matters at this stage is getting you in.
Questions people ask us
Is osteopathy safe during pregnancy?
Yes. Pregnancy osteopathy is designed to be safe at every stage of pregnancy. Our pregnancy osteopaths use gentle techniques adapted for the pregnant body and are experienced in treating women from early pregnancy right through to the final weeks. If you have any specific concerns before your appointment, just mention them when you book and we will make sure your osteopath is prepared.
Osteopathy is a legally protected title. All osteopaths undertake a minimum of four years full-time training, must be registered with the General Osteopathic Council, and are required to undertake 90 hours of continuing professional development each year. Our pregnancy osteopaths have completed additional specialist training on top of that.
I have been told to just rest. Will osteopathy actually help?
Rest can reduce flare-ups in the short term, but it does not address the underlying imbalance in how the pelvis is moving and loading. Osteopathy works on the structural picture, which is why many women find it makes a much more lasting difference than managing the symptoms alone.
Will the pain go away after the baby is born?
For a lot of women it does improve significantly after birth. But it does not always resolve quickly on its own, and having treatment during pregnancy tends to make the rest of the pregnancy more comfortable and can support postnatal recovery too. If pelvic pain continues after the birth, a Mummy MOT is a great place to start. It is a specialist postnatal assessment that looks at how the pelvis, core, and pelvic floor have recovered, and it can pick up anything that needs further attention. For ongoing pelvic floor symptoms beyond the postnatal period, pelvic floor rehabilitation is also available at BTC.
Still Not Sure?
If you're in pain and wondering whether we can help, that's exactly why we're here. You don't need to know what the problem is. You don't need a referral. You just need to take the first step. Book online today or call 020 7733 9944 to speak to us.