Acupuncture Research

WOMEN'S HEALTH

Acupuncture for Pregnant Women with Pelvic Girdle Pain

Elden H, Ladfors L, et al. Perinatal Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Institute for the Health of Women and Children, Sahlgrenska Academy, East Hospital, 41685 Gothenburg, Sweden.

A recent randomized, single blind and controlled study was conducted in order to compare the effects of standard treatment, standard treatment with acupuncture, and standard treatment with stabilizing exercises for pelvic girdle pain during pregnancy. 386 pregnant women with pelvic girdle pain were randomly assigned to three groups: for six weeks with standard treatment (n=130), standard treatment plus acupuncture (n= 125), or standard treatment plus stabilizing exercises (n= 131). A visual analogue scale was used to measure the pain and an independent examiner did an assessment of the severity of the pain before and after treatment.

After treatment, the stabilizing exercise group had less pain than the standard group in the morning and in the evening. The acupuncture group also had less pain than the standard treatment group in the morning and in the evening. However, the acupuncture group had less pain in the evening than the stabilizing exercise group. Attenuation of pelvic girdle pain as assessed by the independent examiner was greatest in the acupuncture group.

The study concluded that acupuncture and stabilizing exercises were effective complements to standard treatment for the management of pelvic girdle pain during pregnancy. Also, acupuncture was superior to stabilizing exercises in this study.