Prevalence of Low Back Pain, Pelvic Girdle Pain, and Combination Pain in a Postpartum Ontario Population

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the point prevalence of low back pain (LBP), pelvic girdle pain (PGP), and/or combination pain (COMBO pain) and period prevalence (presence or absence of any of those pains), as well as to identify risk factors at 1, 3, and 6 months postpartum in a Canadian population.

Methods: Participants from a previous pregnancy study participated in a postpartum survey administered over the telephone at 1, 3, and 6 months following delivery. The survey included questions about LBP, PGP, or COMBO pain during the postpartum period, as well as questions related to risk factors (Canadian Task Force Classification II-3).

Results: At 1, 3, and 6 months postpartum, responses from 46, 58, and 64 participants, respectively, demonstrated that 15%-21% of women experienced LBP and up to 4% of women experienced COMBO pain (point prevalence). At no time point was PGP reported to occur alone. Period prevalence of back pain for the participants returned to pre-pregnancy levels at each time point. Back pain during pregnancy was the only risk factor identified for back pain at 3 and 6 months postpartum.

Conclusion: This study demonstrated that 76% to 80% of respondents were pain free at 1, 3, and 6 months postpartum. Pregnancy-related back pain was the only risk factor associated with postpartum-related pain at the 1 to 3 and 3 to 6 month time interval. Identification of site-specific postpartum-related back pain may assist in determination of management and treatment plans for this population.

Keywords: low back pain; pelvic girdle pain; postpartum period; prevalence; risk factors.