What to Do About Symphysis Pubic Dysfunction (SPD)

You know that feeling. 

You get out of bed in the morning and you feel that sharp shooting pain in your groin. You might also feel it when you roll over in bed or pick up one leg to put your pants on. You may be experiencing symphysis pubis dysfunction, which we call SPD for short. This is a pretty painful experience to have. Know that you’re not alone and that you’re not stuck with it. I hope this blog post can help you get some relief!

What is SPD? 

It can happen to anyone, but about 33% of pregnant women report getting the symptoms at any point during their pregnancies. The symptoms vary from person to person but many of my patients describe it as a sudden, sharp pain in the pelvis while others experience it as a more dull but steady pain. I’ve also had patients that feel it in their upper thighs or their perineum. No matter where the pain is, it's not a pleasant experience.

SPD can flare up during your daily activities, such as walking, picking up one leg to get dressed, going down stairs, standing on one leg, or rolling over in bed. 

There are a few reasons why this could happen. The first factor is the hormonal changes that our bodies go through during pregnancy. These changes make our ligaments more flexible. This is our body's genius way in creating extra space in the pelvis for our baby to hang out and to eventually exit. While we can’t completely blame this pain on our hormones, they do kick in pretty early in pregnancy and this may be one of the reasons why you are experiencing SPD symptoms. 

The next factor is going to be our postural changes and muscular compensations. Long story short, since our posture changes due to a growing belly and breast tissue our strength, mobility, and pelvic floor tension are all going to change. Thankfully, physical therapy is super effective in treating this. 

How do we treat it? 

If you are experiencing these symptoms, finding a local pelvic floor physical therapist should be your first step. Pelvic floor physical therapy is the gold standard for diagnosing and treating SPD. Your therapist will help you release any muscular tension or imbalances. They will find the root of the problem whether that is your pelvic floor or any other muscle group. 

For information on in person or virtual sessions with me click here 

Sessions will also include lots of strengthening to help you rotate better and increase your core stabilization. Strengthening different muscle groups can decrease SPD pain over time. 

How you can manage your symptoms at home 

There are a few things you can do at home that may help avoid flare ups or calm down symptoms of one. 

1. Get out of your car slowly. Keep your legs together as much as you can. Rotate your entire body instead of stepping one foot out at a time. When you swing one leg out without the other, it stretches the joint and causes painful symptoms.
2. Sit down when you put on socks, shoes, or pants. Putting all of your weight on one leg can make your symptoms worse.
3. If you sleep on your side, put a pillow between your knees to keep your pelvis aligned. This puts less strain on a joint.
4. Make sure you hug the baby when you roll over in bed.
5. You can invest in extra support that will help your pelvis to stay in check. This is not a solution, but it is definitely a great tool to help you get better. Check out some products that I LIVED IN during my pregnancies here. Code MILLIEDPT15 will get you 15% off your order.

Reduce pain and build strength

Some pregnancies are more painful than others. I believe that you can stay active and prepare for birth throughout each trimester. I created The Prepared Pelvis to do just this. In this program, you’ll get access to 8 modules of education and exercises that you can follow along throughout your pregnancy. You will also receive a PDF workbook to take notes in as well as access to our alumni group for community support.

Lets get you feeling better!