spd and physio help

[Eternal]

last week i got dignoised with spd and every day since the pain has got so much worse, went to see GP yesterday who said she would try and hurry up appointment with physio and gave me codine.

THe codine has helped alot, i feel i am able to move much better and i am in a lot less pain.

my question is what will the physio do tomorrow??? should i not take the tablets so they can see how bad it is? or will they take my word for it? i am still limping and very sore with the tablets but i am so hoping they will give me crutches for the time being as i really feel like i need the support.

any advice??? plus just generally what to expect? all my midwife and GP have said is wait for the physio and hopefully that will sort it out, kind of like it will be a magic cure. am i wishing for too much to think they may have a trick up their sleeve or will it mostly just be advice?

 

[Wombat]

I sort of don't want to upset you but physio ain't magic cure...

In both my pregnancies I had/have spd, and both times the only thing physio did is suggested better positions (which I knew anyways) and gave me crutches...


My personal advice would be if you can go swimming as much as you can (but remember to keep your legs together when you swim)

Generally - keep your legs together.

Do not walk much. At all.

At any possibility try to keep your weight off your pelvis/bum area. It means, the best position to do anything really is on your knees and with your arms supporting your body either on a bean bag or birthing ball.

Thats it... Not much else you can do. But if you gotta be careful it won't get (hopefully) much worse.

 

[Eternal]

Thanks Wombat, I kind of knew that it wouldnt be a miricle cure but i guess i was hoping lol.

Monday i couldnt move, it was horrendous!

Anyway, do they examine me? the doctor had me in the bed moving this way and that and pushing and pulling me around, it was horrible. will the physio be doing the same?

 

[Jai_Jai]

the physio will prob make you lie on a bed and feel around etc and ask you questions more than anything, like which side is worse etc she might give u a few exercises to do which dont help much and will give u a support belt. will also advise how to sit, get out of car etc etc. if you feel you need something to support you then ask, mine could see i needed crutches as i cant walk but just say you need something to help and they will give you something i am sure.

 

[DizzyMoo]

At my 1st physio appointment , she asked me to show her on a diagram exactly where it hurt, Then she asked me questions like " if you do abc where does it hurt " , and then " if you do xyz where does it hurt" . Then she said how to move, sit & get in & out of bed etc, She asked me to lie on the bed & tried to move my legs up & asked me to lift my pelvis up I think the look on my face said " i can't fecking do that " ..then she gave me a support belt & some exercises to do at home, but said if it hurts dont do em Yes it bloody hurts, She just said they will offer crutches if it gets worse & possible induction.My 1st pregnancy was also induced due to spd .

 

[Eternal]

Thanks ladies, feel a lot more relaxed about tomorrow, fingers crossed i something will help.

Good luck ladies, i hope we are all feeling much better soon, and that as soon as we deliver that the pain will be gone ... hey maybe we should start a support group of spd sufferers, as it seems like a lot of people go through it and it affects your life so greatly.

thanks again ladies x x x x x x

 

[Raven24]

at mine it was a group of women not an individual appointment which i assumed it would be, we had to circle on a piece of paper where the pain was then sit in a room all together and the physio woman explained on a diagram why we were experiencing the pain and all about spd and then gave out a leaflet with exercises to try and help and that was it. she said if the exercises didnt work then to ring to book an appointment to go back, but they dont give you crutches or support belts because they want you to self manage the pain first before they try anythign else. also she told us that a support belt may work in the short term but it will ultimatly make recovery after birth alot harder as the muscles have been artificially supported for so long so they are best avoided.

 

[Snowball]

My physio didn't examine me! She told me it was too severe to pull around. I was given crutches and told to buy a support belt but tbh I had one last time and it made me uncomfortable so I haven't got another one.

I can now not walk very far or I get so painful I get grouchy lol. It feels weird that at the moment I can't remember what it was like to be able to brisk walk and wake up and hop out of bed without giving my pelvis half an hour to become painless enough to walk on. Even my 2 year old now says, 'Help you' and tries to drag me up when I can't move

 

[Jai_Jai]

snowball your sooo right i cant remember not being in pain its odd thats the thing i am looking forward to most just to be able to walk get out of bed normally and get in and out of a car ok

 

[lalitas charm]

I think that it depends on how severe you are and what your physio is prepared to do. My physio is amazing and I'd be lost without her. I go every week (have been since April) and she kinda puts me back together for another while and gives me some exercises to do and sympathy when I need it. It isn't a magic cure but def helps. Not everyone with SPD needs crutches, only the incredibly unlucky ones. I hobble about the place and when the pain is bad struggle with stairs and can't get comfortable but as time has worn on I have gotten to tolerate it unless it is particularly severe.

I try not to take the pain killers if I can avoid it but I have no chance of sleeping if I dont so I take them going to bed and if I am going out anywhere and know that I am going to get really uncomfortable then I might take them then. I have the strongest Codene that they can give unfortunately so they make me drowsy which means I dont like to take them going to work or driving etc.

A pillow between your knees when sleeping helps and then I wedge a couple of pillows under my back as well so that they help support me when I'm lying. When you get out of bed I find it easiest to kinda roll out of bed with my feet (together) out the side and use my arms to push myself up into a sitting position. Not dignified in the slightest but you gotta do what you gotta do. Try to avoid sitting with your legs apart or lying a bit sqew wiff as that can cause it to flare up as well.

I hope the physio helps you tomorrow.

 

[tinkabells]

I got diagnosed with spd when i was 15 weeks and didnt get a physio appt til i was 29 weeks!!!! Hope yours is quicker my physio said to stop going to her cos she just couldnt do anything for me, i tried the the belt and said only option left was my crutches but i need an appt to get these and im almost 38 weeks and my appy is for 3rd oct lol well ill be well over due if shes late xxx

 

[elainegee]

the only thing physio could give me after trying the belts etc is crutches! They basically said there is nothing they can do as it is just part and parcel of being pregnant and the only cure is having the baby. I was on cocodamol but was weary of taking them as some midwifes made faces when i said i was on them, so all i have been taking is paracetamol. I have been off work since 25 weeks with this and it has slowly got worse and worse, i am counting down the weeks now x

 

[Eternal]

well i just got back from physio ... she has given me a support belt and told me to uyse it with the tub-a-grip. she also gave me a massive lecture about doing too much and working and that i wasnt putting this baby as number 1.

I told her i cant just sit round and do nothing when there are things to do as i suffer from depression and seeing things to be done and not doing them will make it bad. i cant afford to give up work quite yet. i have changed my maternity to the 9th of Oct so only 5 weeks left! if i go on sick til then will be on half pay which i cant afford.

I cried all the qway to work feeling like a bad mother already. she said that hopfully the pain will slow me down so she wont be offering me crutches because then i will continue to do "too much".

She said that there was only a small amount of movement in my pelvis but that my muscles etc were really inflammed. she said that if i didnt look after myself that it would get worse.

She then went on about how its important to be exercising and i said i went on walks everyday before this but obviously i can hardly walk now.

I said what can i do to help me with stairs and she said dont use them.

she to be honest it wasnt very helpful. will see her again in 2 weeks so hopefully she will be better then. at least by that time will only have 3 weeks of work left.

how are you all doing today ladies?

 

[Wombat]

Glad you finally had your appointment. Unfortunately the more you overdo the more it hurts.

One thing I can tell you - swimming is BLISS!! it is the only time I can feel no pain! Highly recomended.

And another thing - steam room I know we are sort of not supposed to use it, but I have been using sauna/turkish baths/steam rooms etc. since as long as I can remember myself and it feels sooooooooo good!
I have no idea why, but pain dissapears there. And I never get lightheaded or dizzy there. If I could, I would actually give birth there! That's how good it is!

 

[lalitas charm]

Sorry to hear that your physio wasn't great. I must be very very lucky as my physio is brill. She is so supportive and although she tells me not to overdo things just laughs when I tell her what I've done this time to end up in severe pain. You can't just stop living your life, yes you have to adapt but still need to live.

I hope your pain doesn't get any worse.

 

[Eternal]

Thanks ladies. Wombat - swimming sounds great but not sure how i would get into the pool, let alone out lol, plus trying to get in and out of a swimsuit may be interesting. i will see if i can convince hubby to take me and help lol. sounds heaven so def want to try.

My Doctor is supportive, but physio was horrible, hubby came home and said your not doing too much lol! he thinks by brining the washing basket up and down the stairs that contributes to all the housework lol, bless him.

How you all doing this week? getting worse? staying the same? any of you being induced? who do you discuss that with .. midwife or physio?

 

[firegal]

SPD sucks!! I've had it for about 6 weeks or so. The physio just gave me exercises that really didn't help very much. The best thing I find is rest.... nap lots, sit and read lots, generally take it easy.... not the most useful advice I know, but it's about the only thing that keeps me sane!

These web links might be useful though https://www.pelvicpartnership.org.uk/ and https://www.pelvicinstability.org.uk/index.asp?pageid=52404