Pelvic girdle pain (PGP) is a condition of pregnancy where women experience pain in their buttocks and/or shooting down their legs. About 20% of pregnant women report this problem which can prevent them from doing simple tasks that require standing, sitting or turning in bed.
The BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology reports a two month study in which they used acupuncture on 58 women suffering the condition and “sham” acupuncture on another 57 expectant mothers. The women who received acupuncture were able to move about more freely and found it easier to do routine tasks, such as climbing a flight of stairs.
“This study shows that acupuncture had no superior effect compared with non-penetrating sham acupuncture on pain relief but real acupuncture improved women’s functional ability to perform daily activities,” co-author Dr Helen Elden, from the Institute of Clinical Sciences at the Sahlgrenska Academy in Göteborg, Sweden, said.
