Is A Fit Body Less Vulnerable To Pelvic Girdle And Low Back Pain During Pregnancy?

Abstract

Being pregnant is followed by increased body mass, as well as several changes in the musculoskeletal system, possible influencing two common conditions during pregnancy, pelvic girdle pain (PGP) and/or low back pain (LBP).The thought of a physically strong and fit body being less vulnerable to both conditions are not unlikely. However, there is scant knowledge and inconsistent results regarding the influence of regular exercise on PGP and LBP during pregnancy. PURPOSE: To examine whether participation in a group fitness class for pregnant women can prevent and treat PGP and LBP. METHODS: This is an observer-blinded randomized controlled trial, including 105 sedentary, nulliparous pregnant women, mean age 30.7(±4.0) years, pre-pregnancy BMI 23.8 (± 4.3). The participants were assigned to either control or exercise group at mean gestation week 17.7 (±4.2). The exercise intervention followed ACOG guidelines and included a 60 min general fitness class, with 40 min of endurance training and 20 min of strength training including stretching, performed at least twice per week for a minimum of 12 weeks. Outcome measures were number of women reporting PGP and LBP after the intervention (mean pregnancy week 36.6, ± 0.9) and postpartum (mean 7.7, ± 1.7). RESULTS: There were no statistically significant difference between the exercisers and controls in numbers reporting the two conditions after the intervention (PGP: OR =1.34, CI=0.56-3.20 or LBP: OR=1.10, CI=0.47-2.60) or postpartum (PGP: OR =0.38, CI= 0.13-1.10 or LBP: OR= 1.45, CI= 0.54-3.94). A comparison of the women who had attended at least 80% of the weekly exercise classes with the control-participants did not change the results. CONCLUSION: Participation in regular group fitness classes during pregnancy did not lower or increase the proportion of women reporting PGP or LBP during pregnancy or after childbirth.