An individualized treatment approach of physical therapy with specific stabilizing exercises appears to be more effective than physical therapy.

An individualized treatment approach of physical therapy with specific stabilizing exercises appears to be more effective than physical therapy without specific stabilizing exercises for women with pelvic girdle pain after pregnancy, says a study published in the February 15 (Vol 29, Issue 4) of Spine.

Eighty-one women with pelvic girdle pain were assigned randomly to two treatment groups for 20 weeks. One group received physical therapy with a focus on specific stabilizing exercises. The other group received individualized physical therapy without specific stabilizing exercises. Assessments were administered by a blinded assessor, at baseline, after intervention and 1 year postpartum. Main outcome measures were pain, functional status, and quality of life.

All participants completed the study. After intervention and at 1 year postpartum, the specific stabilizing exercise group showed statistically and clinically significant lower pain intensity; lower disability, and higher quality of life compared with the control group. Group difference in median values for evening pain after treatment was 30 mm on the Visual Analog Scale. Disability was reduced by more than 50% for the exercise group. Changes were negligible in the control group. Significant differences also were observed for physical tests in the specific exercise group.