Research carried out in Sweden suggests that treating pelvic girdle pain (PGP)/symphysis pubis dysfunction (SPD) with either acupuncture or TENS, enables pregnant women to remain active. A total of 113 women with PGP between 12 and 28 weeks pregnant, were randomised to receive either 10 acupuncture sessions at two per week, or daily home-based TENS therapy for five weeks.
Despite the tendency in pregnancy for PGP disability to increase, both study groups preserved functioning and physical activity levels at follow-up, with the acupuncture group showing higher satisfaction with treatment. The authors recommend either treatment as a drug-free option for pain relief to preserve physical activity in pregnancy.
(Maintenance of physical activity level, functioning and health after non-pharmacological treatment of pelvic girdle pain with either transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation or acupuncture: a randomised controlled trial. BMJ Open, October 2021.)