Jan M Mens1. 1. Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands - info@janmens.nl.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The cause of non-specific lumbopelvic pain is unknown. Pregnancy-related pelvic girdle pain seems to be a subgroup that deserves a specific treatment. One of the options is the use of a pelvic belt. AIM: To objectify the influence of a pelvic belt in patients with pelvic girdle pain. DESIGN: Case-control study. SETTING: Outpatient clinic. POPULATION: A total of 49 women with long-lasting posterior pelvic girdle pain and 37 parous women of the same age group without pelvic girdle pain. METHODS: Hip adduction force was measured by asking the participant to squeeze a hand-held dynamometer between the knees. This was firstly performed without a pelvic belt and then with a pelvic belt. The increase of hip adduction force after applying the pelvic belt was expressed in percentages. RESULTS: After tightening a pelvic belt hip adduction force increased 25.9±33.9% in patients with pelvic girdle pain (P<0.0001) and 1.0±8.6% in participants without (P=0.67). The difference between groups was significant (P<0.00001). CONCLUSIONS: A pelvic belt has a positive influence on hip adduction force in pregnancy-related posterior pelvic girdle pain. CLINICAL REHABILITATION IMPACT: The results show an objective positive effect of the pelvic belt in women with long-lasting pregnancy-related posterior pelvic girdle pain in a test-situation. The results support the idea that the use of a belt could be part of a multidisciplinary rehabilitation of those patients.
BACKGROUND: The cause of non-specific lumbopelvic pain is unknown. Pregnancy-related pelvic girdle pain seems to be a subgroup that deserves a specific treatment. One of the options is the use of a pelvic belt. AIM: To objectify the influence of a pelvic belt in patients with pelvic girdle pain. DESIGN: Case-control study. SETTING:Outpatient clinic. POPULATION: A total of 49 women with long-lasting posterior pelvic girdle pain and 37 parous women of the same age group without pelvic girdle pain. METHODS: Hip adduction force was measured by asking the participant to squeeze a hand-held dynamometer between the knees. This was firstly performed without a pelvic belt and then with a pelvic belt. The increase of hip adduction force after applying the pelvic belt was expressed in percentages. RESULTS: After tightening a pelvic belt hip adduction force increased 25.9±33.9% in patients with pelvic girdle pain (P<0.0001) and 1.0±8.6% in participants without (P=0.67). The difference between groups was significant (P<0.00001). CONCLUSIONS: A pelvic belt has a positive influence on hip adduction force in pregnancy-related posterior pelvic girdle pain. CLINICAL REHABILITATION IMPACT: The results show an objective positive effect of the pelvic belt in women with long-lasting pregnancy-related posterior pelvic girdle pain in a test-situation. The results support the idea that the use of a belt could be part of a multidisciplinary rehabilitation of those patients.