SynthesisEuropean spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society2004
Pregnancy-related pelvic girdle pain (PPP), I: Terminology, clinical presentation, and prevalence.
Synthesis in European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society, 2004. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to 6 registered trials, which are not on this map. Cited by 143 papers, 8 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
The Efficacy of Ultrasound Guided Posterior Sacroiliac Ligament Corticosteroid Injection in Pregnancy-Related Pelvic Girdle Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Management of Chronic Post-Partum Pelvic Girdle Pain Study: Evaluating Effectiveness of Combined Physiotherapy and a Dynamic Elastomeric Fabric Orthosis
The Predictive Value of the Active Straight Leg Raise on the Efficacy of a Sacroiliac Joint Belt in Posterior Pelvic Girdle Pain During Pregnancy
Post-partum Non-pharmacologic Pain Management
Effects of Kegel Exercises With and Without Myofascial Release on Pain, Function and Quality of Life in Chronic Pelvic Pain
Effects and Pathophysiology of Weight Training on Pregnancy-related Pelvic Girdle Pain (PPGP)
Who cites it
143 citing papers in PubMed, 8 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Effectiveness of physical therapy on pain, disability and quality of life in women with lumbopelvic pain in postpartum period: a systematic review with evidence gap map and meta-analysis.BMC women's health · 2025Pooled it
- Effectiveness of Physical Activity Interventions on Pregnancy-Related Outcomes among Pregnant Women: A Systematic Review.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2019Pooled it
- The Effect of Maternity Support Garments on Alleviation of Pains and Discomforts during Pregnancy: A Systematic Review.Journal of pregnancy · 2019Pooled it
- How to treat lumbar disc herniation in pregnancy? A systematic review on current standards.European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society · 2017Pooled it
- Interventions for preventing and treating low-back and pelvic pain during pregnancy.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2015Pooled it
- Pregnancy-related pelvic girdle pain and its relationship with relaxin levels during pregnancy: a systematic review.European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society · 2012Pooled it
- Is pregnancy related pelvic girdle pain associated with altered kinematic, kinetic and motor control of the pelvis? A systematic review.European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society · 2012Pooled it
- The effects of core stabilizing exercise in postpartum women with lumbopelvic pain: A systematic review with meta-analysis.Brazilian journal of physical therapyPooled it
- Kinesio taping effectively improved pain and disability in postpartum women with pregnancy-related pelvic girdle pain: a randomized controlled trial.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicine · 2026Trial
- Trial
- Effect of external and internal cues on core muscle activation during the Sahrmann five-level core stability test.World journal of methodology · 2025Trial
- Comparative efficacy of lumbar and pelvic support on pain, disability, and motor control in women with postpartum pelvic girdle pain: a three-armed randomized controlled trial.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2025Trial
- Trial
- A rehabilitation programme focussing on pelvic floor muscle training for persistent lumbopelvic pain after childbirth: A randomized controlled trial.Journal of rehabilitation medicine · 2021Trial
- Stabilization exercise affects function of transverse abdominis and pelvic floor muscles in women with postpartum lumbo-pelvic pain: a double-blinded randomized clinical trial study.International urogynecology journal · 2020Trial
- Cost-effectiveness of acupuncture versus standard care for pelvic and low back pain in pregnancy: A randomized controlled trial.PloS one · 2019Trial
- Kinesio Taping vs. Placebo in Reducing Pregnancy-Related Low Back Pain: A Cross-Over Study.Medical science monitor : international medical journal of experimental and clinical research · 2017Trial
- Chiropractic management of dominating one-sided pelvic girdle pain in pregnant women; a randomized controlled trial.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2017Trial
- The Effect of Topical Rosa damascena (Rose) Oil on Pregnancy-Related Low Back Pain: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial.Journal of evidence-based complementary & alternative medicine · 2017Trial
- Physical Therapists' Views and Experiences of Pregnancy-Related Low Back Pain and the Role of Acupuncture: Qualitative Exploration.Physical therapy · 2015Trial
83 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Pregnancy-related lumbopelvic pain has puzzled medicine for a long time. The present systematic review focuses on terminology, clinical presentation, and prevalence. Numerous terms are used, as if they indicated one and the same entity. We propose "pregnancy-related pelvic girdle pain (PPP)", and "pregnancy-related low back pain (PLBP)", present evidence that the two add up to "lumbopelvic pain", and show that they are distinct entities (although underlying mechanisms may be similar). Average pain intensity during pregnancy is 50 mm on a visual analogue scale; postpartum, pain is less. During pregnancy, serious pain occurs in about 25%, and severe disability in about 8% of patients. After pregnancy, problems are serious in about 7%. The mechanisms behind disabilities remain unclear, and constitute an important research priority. Changes in muscle activity, unusual perceptions of the leg when moving it, and altered motor coordination were observed but remain poorly understood. Published prevalence for PPP and/or PLBP varies widely. Quantitative analysis was used to explain the differences. Overall, about 45% of all pregnant women and 25% of all women postpartum suffer from PPP and/or PLBP. These values decrease by about 20% if one excludes mild complaints. Strenuous work, previous low back pain, and previous PPP and/or PLBP are risk factors, and the inclusion/exclusion of high-risk subgroups influences prevalence. Of all patients, about one-half have PPP, one-third PLBP, and one-sixth both conditions combined. Overall, the literature reveals that PPP deserves serious attention from the clinical and research communities, at all times and in all countries.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.