Pregnancy Pain Relief: Returning to "Be a Mom Again"

Jane is a 37 year old mother of 3. She had been experiencing ongoing low back and hip pain following the birth of her 3rd child 5 years ago. Prior to our visit, she had tried many different options for pregnancy pain relief including physical therapy, chiropractic care, and pain medication. She stated that the physical therapy and chiropractic treatments were both helpful but were short-lived. She did not like the way that the medication made her feel. She had already had multiple imaging studies, all of which were considered unremarkable. When I had the opportunity to meet with Jane she was defensive and on the verge of losing hope as she had been passed around for many years without explanation of her pain, and she was now experiencing weight gain secondary to the lack of pain-free movement. Fortunately for Jane, this is a very common complaint in my office and appears to be associated with laxity, or loosening of the pelvic ligaments. After a discussion of treatment options I recommended a problem-specific physical therapy and home-exercise program, in conjunction with Osteopathic Manipulation and bracing. After a few weeks of strengthening, Jane did feel some improvement and was now able to participate in her activities with less pain, however she was not where she desired to be. We once again discussed treatment options and she decided to pursue regenerative injections. Following 2 treatments of injections 4 weeks apart, Jane could now participate in life with minimal to no pain. She could now “be a mom again”.