title: Effect of therapeutic exercises on pregnancy-related low back pain and pelvic girdle pain: Secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial.
abstract: To investigate the effect of a supervised, structured exercise programme on the occurrence and severity of pregnancy-related lumbopelvic pain.
  
  
  
  Randomized controlled trial.
  
  
  
  A total of 45 pregnant women were randomly assigned to 2 groups: an experimental group (n = 20; mean age 32.8 (standard deviation (SD) 3.6) years) and a control group (n = 22; mean age 32.2 years (SD 4.9)).
  
  
  
  Exercise intervention for the experimental group consisted of aerobic and resistance exercises performed bi-weekly from the date of inclusion into the study until the end of pregnancy, together with at least 30 min of brisk daily walks. A numeric rating scale, Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ), and Pelvic Girdle Questionnaire (PGQ) were used to measure outcomes. The control group received only standard antenatal care.
  
  
  
  There were significant differences between the 2 groups on the numeric rating scale, PGQ and RMDQ scores in the 36th week of pregnancy (p = 0.017; p = 0.005; p < 0.001, respectively) in favour of the experimental group.
  
  
  
  The exercise programme had a beneficial effect on the severity of lumbopelvic pain in pregnancy, reducing the intensity of pain and the level of disability experienced as a result.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Studies, College of Applied Sciences.
authors.forename: Iva
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sklempe Kokic
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ivanisevic
authors.forename: Melita
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Uremovic
authors.forename: Tomislav
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kokic
authors.forename: Rado
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pisot
authors.forename: Bostjan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Simunic
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D035002:Lower Extremity / Q000503:physiopathology; D010147:Pain Measurement; D059388:Pelvic Girdle Pain / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D010388:Pelvis / Q000503:physiopathology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome