Association Among Pelvic Girdle Pain, Diastasis Recti Abdominis, Pubic Symphysis Width, and Pain Catastrophizing: A Matched Case-Control Study.
Małgorzata Starzec-Proserpio, Daria Lipa, Jacek Szymański and 3 others
PMID 35079827WHAT IT FOUND
Wider pubic symphysis and wider abdominal muscle separation during a curl-up were associated with postpartum pelvic girdle pain.
Pain catastrophizing, linea alba stability, and abdominal separation at rest were not.
Key findings
01After adjustment for pre-pregnancy body mass index, pubic symphysis width and interrecti distance during the curl-up task were significantly associated with pelvic girdle pain.
02There were no statistically significant differences between groups for interrecti distance ultrasound measurements, pain catastrophizing, or linea alba stability.
03Women with pelvic girdle pain had greater pubic symphysis width than controls in the univariable analysis.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The study included only women 24 to 72 hours after vaginal delivery at one hospital in Poland, so it does not apply to later postpartum pain, caesarean birth, or other settings. Only Polish-speaking women were included. Assessments were performed by 2 physical therapists, which could introduce assessor bias. Linea alba stability was measured with a non-validated method. Pre-pregnancy body mass index was higher in the PGP group, and the adjusted analysis relied on statistical correction for that difference. The study is observational and case-control, so it can show association but not cause. Results may not generalise to women with persistent pelvic girdle pain long after delivery.
Declared interests
The study was funded by Fundacja dla Szpitala Specjalistycznego św. Zofii w Warszawie in Warsaw, Poland. The authors state that the funder had no role in the design, conduct, or reporting of the study, no role in data collection or analysis, and no approval role before publication.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that wider pubic symphysis or wider interrecti distance during curl-up causes pelvic girdle pain. This was a case-control association study, so it can show that measurements were linked to pain, not that they caused it.