Does a pelvic belt reduce hip adduction weakness in pregnancy-related posterior pelvic girdle pain? A case-control study.

BACKGROUND: The cause of non-specific lumbopelvic pain is unknown. Pregnancy-related pelvic girdle pain seems to be a subgroup that deserves a specific treatment. One of the options is the use of a pelvic belt.

AIM: To objectify the influence of a pelvic belt in patients with pelvic girdle pain.

DESIGN: Case-control study.

SETTING: Outpatient clinic.

POPULATION: A total of 49 women with long-lasting posterior pelvic girdle pain and 37 parous women of the same age group without pelvic girdle pain.

METHODS: Hip adduction force was measured by asking the participant to squeeze a hand-held dynamometer between the knees. This was firstly performed without a pelvic belt and then with a pelvic belt. The increase of hip adduction force after applying the pelvic belt was expressed in percentages.

RESULTS: After tightening a pelvic belt hip adduction force increased 25.9±33.9% in patients with pelvic girdle pain (P<0.0001) and 1.0±8.6% in participants without (P=0.67). The difference between groups was significant (P<0.00001).

CONCLUSIONS: A pelvic belt has a positive influence on hip adduction force in pregnancy-related posterior pelvic girdle pain.

CLINICAL REHABILITATION IMPACT: The results show an objective positive effect of the pelvic belt in women with long-lasting pregnancy-related posterior pelvic girdle pain in a test-situation. The results support the idea that the use of a belt could be part of a multidisciplinary rehabilitation of those patients.