Comparative efficacy of lumbar and pelvic support on pain, disability, and motor control in women with postpartum pelvic girdle pain: a three-armed randomized controlled trial

Abstract Background Pregnancy-related posterior pelvic girdle pain (PPGP) is a common cause of back pain and disability in the postpartum period. The objective of this study was to investigate the efficacy of orthotic support on pain, disability, and motor control in women with pregnancy-related PPG...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Fahimeh-Sadat Jafarian, Mahmonir Jafari-Harandi, Gillian Yeowell, Ebrahim Sadeghi-Demneh
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2025-02-01
Series:BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12891-025-08350-3
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1832572098046853120
author Fahimeh-Sadat Jafarian
Mahmonir Jafari-Harandi
Gillian Yeowell
Ebrahim Sadeghi-Demneh
author_facet Fahimeh-Sadat Jafarian
Mahmonir Jafari-Harandi
Gillian Yeowell
Ebrahim Sadeghi-Demneh
author_sort Fahimeh-Sadat Jafarian
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Background Pregnancy-related posterior pelvic girdle pain (PPGP) is a common cause of back pain and disability in the postpartum period. The objective of this study was to investigate the efficacy of orthotic support on pain, disability, and motor control in women with pregnancy-related PPGP. Methods Eighty-four women with a clinical diagnosis of pregnancy-related PPGP participated in this randomized controlled trial (RCT). Participants were randomly allocated into three groups (with a ratio of 1:1:1): the pelvic support group, the lumbar support group, and the control group (patient-education leaflet). Pain severity, disability, effort during active straight leg raising test (ASLR), maximum isometric muscle force (hip flexion and trunk rotation), and joint position reproduction (JPR) of hip abduction were assessed as study outcomes. These variables were measured at four time points —before the intervention, immediately after the intervention, at the 4-week follow-up (at this time, the intervention period was terminated), and at the 5-week follow-up (one week after discontinuing the interventions)— to evaluate the possible effects of wearing support. Repeated-measures multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was applied to determine the statistical significance between groups. Bonferroni post-hoc correction was used to identify significant differences between groups at different study time points. Results There was a significant interaction effect for group × time for the study outcomes, including pain severity, disability, effort during ASLR, and maximum isometric muscle force between groups (p < 0.001), except JPR of hip abduction (p = 0.13). There were statistically significant differences in post hoc comparisons for pain intensity and effort during ASLR in lumbar support versus control condition and for maximum isometric muscle force in orthotic interventions versus control conditions immediately after the intervention (P < 0.008). Post hoc tests demonstrated statistically significant differences in orthotic interventions versus control conditions after 4-week and 5-week follow-ups (P < 0.008). None of the interventions significantly changed the JPR of hip abduction compared to the control group (p > 0.008). The effect sizes for study outcomes were large, except for the JPR of hip abduction. Conclusions For women with pregnancy-related PPGP, both lumbar and pelvic supports were beneficial for decreasing pain and disability symptoms. Lumbar support showed better results for managing PPGP than pelvic support. Clinical trial registration Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials IRCT20150210021034N11. Date of registration: April 31, 2021. Available at: https://irct.behdasht.gov.ir/trial/70670
format Article
id doaj-art-ce5f669d959947879fe7db948c8a6158
institution Kabale University
issn 1471-2474
language English
publishDate 2025-02-01
publisher BMC
record_format Article
series BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders
spelling doaj-art-ce5f669d959947879fe7db948c8a61582025-02-02T12:05:35ZengBMCBMC Musculoskeletal Disorders1471-24742025-02-0126111610.1186/s12891-025-08350-3Comparative efficacy of lumbar and pelvic support on pain, disability, and motor control in women with postpartum pelvic girdle pain: a three-armed randomized controlled trialFahimeh-Sadat Jafarian0Mahmonir Jafari-Harandi1Gillian Yeowell2Ebrahim Sadeghi-Demneh3Musculoskeletal Research Center, School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Isfahan University of Medical SciencesDepartment of Obstetrics & Gynecology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical SciencesDepartment of Health Professions, Manchester Metropolitan UniversityMusculoskeletal Research Center, School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Isfahan University of Medical SciencesAbstract Background Pregnancy-related posterior pelvic girdle pain (PPGP) is a common cause of back pain and disability in the postpartum period. The objective of this study was to investigate the efficacy of orthotic support on pain, disability, and motor control in women with pregnancy-related PPGP. Methods Eighty-four women with a clinical diagnosis of pregnancy-related PPGP participated in this randomized controlled trial (RCT). Participants were randomly allocated into three groups (with a ratio of 1:1:1): the pelvic support group, the lumbar support group, and the control group (patient-education leaflet). Pain severity, disability, effort during active straight leg raising test (ASLR), maximum isometric muscle force (hip flexion and trunk rotation), and joint position reproduction (JPR) of hip abduction were assessed as study outcomes. These variables were measured at four time points —before the intervention, immediately after the intervention, at the 4-week follow-up (at this time, the intervention period was terminated), and at the 5-week follow-up (one week after discontinuing the interventions)— to evaluate the possible effects of wearing support. Repeated-measures multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was applied to determine the statistical significance between groups. Bonferroni post-hoc correction was used to identify significant differences between groups at different study time points. Results There was a significant interaction effect for group × time for the study outcomes, including pain severity, disability, effort during ASLR, and maximum isometric muscle force between groups (p < 0.001), except JPR of hip abduction (p = 0.13). There were statistically significant differences in post hoc comparisons for pain intensity and effort during ASLR in lumbar support versus control condition and for maximum isometric muscle force in orthotic interventions versus control conditions immediately after the intervention (P < 0.008). Post hoc tests demonstrated statistically significant differences in orthotic interventions versus control conditions after 4-week and 5-week follow-ups (P < 0.008). None of the interventions significantly changed the JPR of hip abduction compared to the control group (p > 0.008). The effect sizes for study outcomes were large, except for the JPR of hip abduction. Conclusions For women with pregnancy-related PPGP, both lumbar and pelvic supports were beneficial for decreasing pain and disability symptoms. Lumbar support showed better results for managing PPGP than pelvic support. Clinical trial registration Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials IRCT20150210021034N11. Date of registration: April 31, 2021. Available at: https://irct.behdasht.gov.ir/trial/70670https://doi.org/10.1186/s12891-025-08350-3Sacroiliac jointPainDisabilityMotor controlLumbosacral orthosisPostpartum
spellingShingle Fahimeh-Sadat Jafarian
Mahmonir Jafari-Harandi
Gillian Yeowell
Ebrahim Sadeghi-Demneh
Comparative efficacy of lumbar and pelvic support on pain, disability, and motor control in women with postpartum pelvic girdle pain: a three-armed randomized controlled trial
BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders
Sacroiliac joint
Pain
Disability
Motor control
Lumbosacral orthosis
Postpartum
title Comparative efficacy of lumbar and pelvic support on pain, disability, and motor control in women with postpartum pelvic girdle pain: a three-armed randomized controlled trial
title_full Comparative efficacy of lumbar and pelvic support on pain, disability, and motor control in women with postpartum pelvic girdle pain: a three-armed randomized controlled trial
title_fullStr Comparative efficacy of lumbar and pelvic support on pain, disability, and motor control in women with postpartum pelvic girdle pain: a three-armed randomized controlled trial
title_full_unstemmed Comparative efficacy of lumbar and pelvic support on pain, disability, and motor control in women with postpartum pelvic girdle pain: a three-armed randomized controlled trial
title_short Comparative efficacy of lumbar and pelvic support on pain, disability, and motor control in women with postpartum pelvic girdle pain: a three-armed randomized controlled trial
title_sort comparative efficacy of lumbar and pelvic support on pain disability and motor control in women with postpartum pelvic girdle pain a three armed randomized controlled trial
topic Sacroiliac joint
Pain
Disability
Motor control
Lumbosacral orthosis
Postpartum
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s12891-025-08350-3
work_keys_str_mv AT fahimehsadatjafarian comparativeefficacyoflumbarandpelvicsupportonpaindisabilityandmotorcontrolinwomenwithpostpartumpelvicgirdlepainathreearmedrandomizedcontrolledtrial
AT mahmonirjafariharandi comparativeefficacyoflumbarandpelvicsupportonpaindisabilityandmotorcontrolinwomenwithpostpartumpelvicgirdlepainathreearmedrandomizedcontrolledtrial
AT gillianyeowell comparativeefficacyoflumbarandpelvicsupportonpaindisabilityandmotorcontrolinwomenwithpostpartumpelvicgirdlepainathreearmedrandomizedcontrolledtrial
AT ebrahimsadeghidemneh comparativeefficacyoflumbarandpelvicsupportonpaindisabilityandmotorcontrolinwomenwithpostpartumpelvicgirdlepainathreearmedrandomizedcontrolledtrial