Interventions for preventing and treating low-back and pelvic pain during pregnancy.

Authors: Sarah D Liddle, Victoria PennickJournal: The Cochrane database of systematic reviewsPublished: March 31, 2016DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD001139.pub4

Q1 JournalSJR: 4.8h-index: 291SCImago

Moderate EvidenceMeta Analysisn=5121 participants

Pregnancy Discomfort

In Plain Language: pregnancy, explained

A study investigated various interventions for treating low-back and pelvic pain in pregnant women, which affects a large number of expectant mothers and can hinder daily activities and sleep. The research concluded that exercises significantly reduced pain and improved functionality, suggesting these interventions can improve pregnant women's quality of life.

Key Findings: what this meta-analysis found about pregnancy

✓Exercises significantly reduced low-back pain by 64% and function-related disability by 56%.
✓An 8 to 12-week exercise program reduced the number of women reporting low-back and pelvic pain by 34%.
✓Land-based exercise reduced low-back and pelvic pain-related sick leave by about 24%.
✓Individual therapies like acupuncture improved pelvic pain more than standard prenatal care.

What This Means for You

For pregnant women suffering from low-back and pelvic pain, engaging in certain exercises may lead to significant pain relief and improved daily functioning, making a positive difference during their pregnancy.

What This Means for Practitioners

Reflexology practitioners can incorporate exercise recommendations alongside their treatments to enhance overall pain management strategies for pregnant clients experiencing low-back and pelvic pain.

Study Design: how this meta-analysis was run

Blinding

open label

Control

none

Duration

8 to 12 weeks

Sample Size

5121 participants

Limitations: what it cannot tell you about pregnancy

The quality of evidence was moderate to low due to design limitations and variability in reported results.

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Pregnancy: common questions

What does this study say about pregnancy?

What did this study find?

Exercises significantly reduced low-back pain by 64% and function-related disability by 56%. An 8 to 12-week exercise program reduced the number of women reporting low-back and pelvic pain by 34%. Land-based exercise reduced low-back and pelvic pain-related sick leave by about 24%.

How strong is this evidence?

This is a meta-analysis and we rate its evidence moderate. It covers 5,121 participants. It was published in The Cochrane database of systematic reviews, a Q1 journal. This study is indexed here for context; it did not test reflexology itself.