Effects of acupuncture and stabilising exercises as adjunct to standard treatment in pregnant women with pelvic girdle pain: randomised single blind controlled trial.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the efficacy of standard treatment, standard treatment plus acupuncture, and standard treatment plus stabilising exercises for pelvic girdle pain during pregnancy.


METHODS
Randomised single blind controlled trial. Settings East Hospital, Gothenburg, and 27 maternity care centres in Sweden.


METHODS
386 pregnant women with pelvic girdle pain.


METHODS
Treatment for six weeks with standard treatment (n = 130), standard treatment plus acupuncture (n = 125), or standard treatment plus stabilising exercises (n = 131).


METHODS
Primary outcome measure was pain (visual analogue scale); secondary outcome measure was assessment of severity of pelvic girdle pain by an independent examiner before and after treatment.


RESULTS
After treatment the stabilising exercise group had less pain than the standard group in the morning (median difference = 9, 95% confidence interval 1.7 to 12.8; P = 0.0312) and in the evening (13, 2.7 to 17.5; P = 0.0245). The acupuncture group, in turn, had less pain in the evening than the stabilising exercise group (-14, -18.1 to -3.3; P = 0.0130). Furthermore, the acupuncture group had less pain than the standard treatment group in the morning (12, 5.9 to 17.3; P < 0.001) and in the evening (27, 13.3 to 29.5; P < 0.001). Attenuation of pelvic girdle pain as assessed by the independent examiner was greatest in the acupuncture group.


CONCLUSIONS
Acupuncture and stabilising exercises constitute efficient complements to standard treatment for the management of pelvic girdle pain during pregnancy. Acupuncture was superior to stabilising exercises in this study.
Elden
Helen
H
Perinatal Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Institute for the Health of Women and Children, Sahlgrenska Academy, East Hospital, 41685 Gothenburg, Sweden. helen.elden@vgregion.se
Ladfors
Lars
L
Olsen
Monika Fagevik
MF
Ostgaard
Hans-Christian
HC
Hagberg
Henrik
H
D015670:Acupuncture Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D000328:Adult; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015588:Observer Variation; D010147:Pain Measurement; D017699:Pelvic Pain / Q000628:therapy*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000628:therapy*; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D016896:Treatment Outcome