Interventions for the treatment of Pelvic Girdle Pain during pregnancy: A review of recent randomised controlled trials.

Item

Title
Interventions for the treatment of Pelvic Girdle Pain during pregnancy: A review of recent randomised controlled trials.
Author(s)
Mancion, C
Abstract
Background Pelvic Girdle Pain is a painful and debilitating condition that is common during pregnancy. Despite its significant effects on quality of life, it is commonly dismissed as trivial by health care professionals. To date, there is no gold standard regarding the treatment of PGP during pregnancy. Previous systematic reviews evaluating various treatment modalities for PGP during pregnancy emphasized the potential for further research. Objective This study was conducted to synthesise and critically evaluate the literature of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) published since 2015, regarding the effect of different interventions to treat PGP during pregnancy, in terms of improvements in pain and/or functional disability. Furthermore, to inform clinical practice by building on the evidence concerning treatment recommendations. Design Structured literature review. Methods Five electronic databases were searched using a list of relevant keywords to identify all eligible research published between January 2015 and October 2019. Search results were screened and filtered according to inclusion/exclusion criteria. The final selected studies were then assessed for methodological quality using the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) scale and Strength Of Recommendation Taxonomy (SORT). Finally, data regarding study characteristics, main findings and statistical results were extracted from each study. Results A total of 12 studies matched the inclusion criteria and were included in this review. Seven different treatment interventions were identified and evaluated, including: exercise therapy, acupuncture, pelvic belts, muscle energy technique, chiropractic manipulation, foot manipulation, and reflexology. Across both quality scoring systems used, none of the studies obtained ultimate scores mainly due to lack of blinding, indicating an overall moderate quality. Discussion The clinical and methodological heterogeneity amongst the studies made it difficult to interpret and analyse results. Moreover, the varying quality, limited quantity of studies and low evidence strength, made it impossible to draw accurate conclusions and recommendations. Nonetheless, in agreement to previous studies, this review found limited evidence supporting the use of exercise therapy for reducing pain and disability caused by PGP during pregnancy. Conclusion Due to limitations in the studies, no conclusions can be drawn. Further high-quality research is required to determine the effect of the interventions identified in this review, in the treatment of PGP during pregnancy, to inform evidence based recommendations.
Date Accepted
2020
Date Submitted
28.10.2020 18:08:19
Type
osteo_thesis
Language
English
Submitted by:
62
Pub-Identifier
16676
Inst-Identifier
1229
Keywords
Literature review, Pelvic Girdle Pain, Pregnancy, Treatment Interventions.
Recommended
0
Item sets
Thesis

Mancion, C, “Interventions for the treatment of Pelvic Girdle Pain during pregnancy: A review of recent randomised controlled trials.”, Osteopathic Research Web, accessed May 3, 2025, https://www.osteopathic-research.com/s/orw/item/179