Pelvic Girdle Pain & SPD During Pregnancy

The Pubic Symphysis

The Front of the Pelvic Ring

The pubic symphysis is the joint where the two sides of the pelvis meet at the front. It normally allows only a small amount of movement. During pregnancy, changes throughout the pelvic region can alter how force is experienced across this joint.

Women with symptoms centered here may describe pubic bone pain, groin pain, sharp discomfort when moving the legs apart, pain turning in bed, difficulty stepping into pants, pain entering or exiting a vehicle, or discomfort with stairs.

The goal is not to "push the pubic bone back into place." We want to understand how the entire pelvic ring is transferring movement and force.

The SI Joints

The Back of the Pelvic Ring

At the back, the sacrum connects with the pelvis through the SI joints. The SI joints provide small but meaningful movement while helping transfer force between the spine and legs.

Discomfort here may feel like one-sided buttock pain, posterior pelvic aching, pain near the dimples of the lower back, discomfort with walking, difficulty shifting weight, or pain after prolonged standing.

The Nervous System Has to Coordinate the Change

Every Weight Shift Requires Information

Your nervous system constantly receives sensory information from joints, muscles, skin, proprioceptive receptors, the vestibular system, and vision. When you stand on one leg, your brain has to know where your pelvis is, where your hip is, where your center of gravity is, how much force is required, how to maintain balance, and what movement should happen next.

Now imagine repeating that process while your body proportions are changing throughout pregnancy. The nervous system continually updates how the body moves.

This is why pelvic girdle pain can be discussed as more than a painful joint. It is occurring within a larger movement and sensory-motor system.

Why Compensation Matters

The Body Finds a Way

Imagine one side of your pelvis feels uncomfortable during walking. Your body still needs to move. So you may shorten your step, shift weight differently, rotate differently, rely more on the opposite hip, use the lower back differently, move more slowly, or avoid certain positions.

That is compensation. Compensation is not a failure. It is your nervous system solving a movement problem.

But if the same strategy is repeatedly used because other movement options are uncomfortable, other regions may begin working harder. This is one reason we evaluate the whole movement pattern.

Mobility Gives the Body Options

Pregnancy Requires Adaptability

We do not want a pregnant pelvis to be rigid. Pregnancy requires adaptation. The goal is not to create one perfectly aligned position. The goal is to support appropriate mobility throughout the regions that work together during movement.

These include the lumbar spine, sacrum, SI joints, hips, and thoracic spine when relevant.

When movement options are available, the body has more ways to adapt to changing physical demands.

What We Look At

Beyond the Location of Pain

Dr. Liz may evaluate:

• Lumbar spinal mobility
• Sacral mobility
• SI-region function
• Pelvic mechanics
• Hip mobility
• Right-to-left differences
• Weight distribution
• Movement transitions
• Walking and standing
• Single-leg movement
• Body symmetry
• Compensation patterns
• Postural adaptation
• Nervous system regulation

The question is: How is your pelvic girdle working as a whole?

How Prenatal Chiropractic Fits

Support Movement Through Pregnancy

Dr. Liz uses gentle, pregnancy-appropriate chiropractic techniques based on the mother's individual presentation. When areas of restricted spinal, sacral, or pelvic mobility are identified, care may support spinal mobility, sacral mobility, pelvic function, comfortable movement, weight transfer, postural adaptability, body awareness, movement options, and nervous system regulation.

The goal is not to force the pelvis into one fixed position. It is to help support the mother's ability to move and adapt as pregnancy continues.

The Webster Technique

Supporting Maternal Pelvic & Sacral Function

Dr. Liz is certified in the Webster Technique. Webster is a pregnancy-specific chiropractic analysis and adjustment focusing on sacral and pelvic biomechanics and associated soft-tissue tension.

For a woman experiencing pelvic girdle concerns, this framework may be relevant when restricted sacral or pelvic movement is identified. Its focus is maternal sacral and pelvic function.

The Goal Is Not Perfect Symmetry

Bodies move differently during pregnancy. One side may feel different from the other. Your stride may change. Your favorite sleeping position may stop working. The way you get out of bed may change.

The goal is not to force pregnancy movement to look exactly like it did before pregnancy. Instead, we want movement options, adaptability, comfortable transitions, confidence, and understanding of what your body is doing.

Pregnancy requires change. We want to help the body adapt to that change.

Simple Movement Strategies

Reduce Unnecessary Irritation

Depending on your pregnancy and guidance from your prenatal healthcare provider, strategies may include:

• Sit down when dressing instead of balancing on one leg
• Keep your knees relatively together when entering or exiting a car if that movement is more comfortable
• Use a pillow between the legs during sleep
• Support the abdomen when helpful
• Change positions regularly
• Reduce unnecessary repeated stair trips when stairs aggravate symptoms
• Avoid repeatedly carrying heavy objects on one side
• Divide large tasks into smaller periods of activity
• Continue appropriate movement instead of becoming completely sedentary
• Rest when your body needs it

Do not tell yourself to fear movement. Modify the movement enough to remain active without repeatedly provoking symptoms.

"Should I Stop Exercising?"

Pelvic discomfort does not automatically mean a pregnant woman should stop moving. Appropriate activity can remain valuable during pregnancy.

However, when a particular activity consistently increases symptoms, it may need to be modified, reduced, performed differently, or temporarily replaced. Exercise recommendations should reflect the individual pregnancy and appropriate prenatal guidance.

The goal is: Keep moving—but listen to the body.

Birth & Pelvic Girdle Pain

Having PGP does not automatically determine your birth. Women with PGP can still have many birth options.

Encourage discussions with your maternity team about comfortable labor positions, range of movement, position modifications, and birth preferences.

Pelvic pain during pregnancy does not mean your body is incapable of birth.