Types of back pain in pregnancy

There are two common types of back pain in pregnancy: Lumbar pain (LP) and Pelvic Girdle pain (PGP). PGP and Lumbar pain are two different types of lower back pain (LBP) during pregnancy, however, a small number of women suffer from combined pain.

How to differentiate PGP & LP?

PGP is described as sharp, stabbing, unilateral or bilateral, recurrent or persistent pain radiating to the thigh, the knee and the calf, but never to the foot. During pregnancy, PGP is found to become more intense than during the postpartum period and can transform the natural discomfort of pregnancy into a pathophysiological condition that significantly reduces physical activity withdrawal from social interactions.

Lumbar pain during pregnancy is very similar to lumbar pain experienced by women who are not pregnant as it appears as pain over and around the lumbar spine, above the sacrum. Lumbar pain may or might not radiate to the foot, in contrast with PGP. Tenderness over paravertebral muscles is a common finding in lumbar pain. Lumbar pain worsens during the postpartum period and is typically intensified by certain movements and postures, such as prolonged sitting, but remains less debilitating than PGP.

Who is at risk of developing back pain in pregnancy?

It has been reported that women with previous lumbar problems or chronic back pain are more likely to develop back pain during pregnancy, with pain occurring twice as often as those without previous complaints. Along those same lines, women who experience back pain during first pregnancy have 85% chance of experiencing back pain during a subsequent pregnancy.