Can Osteopathy Help Pregnancy-Related Lower Back and Pelvic Pain?

Pregnancy can bring significant physical changes that affect the lower back, pelvis and surrounding muscles. As your body adapts to a growing baby, changes in posture, movement and daily activity can contribute to pain, stiffness and reduced mobility.

Lower back pain is particularly common during pregnancy. A systematic review and meta-analysis of 28 studies involving 12,908 pregnant women estimated the global prevalence of pregnancy-related back pain at 40.5%, with prevalence increasing throughout pregnancy, from 28.3% in the first trimester to 36.8% in the second and 47.8% in the third.

Pelvic girdle pain (PGP) is also common. The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) estimates that it affects around 1 in 5 pregnant women. Symptoms may affect the front or back of the pelvis and can extend towards the hips, groin or thighs.

If pain is affecting your everyday life, there are several ways to approach it. Osteopathy may offer gentle, hands-on support for some people during pregnancy, helping to ease discomfort, support movement and make everyday activities more manageable.

A suitably qualified practitioner can assess your symptoms and adapt treatment to your stage of pregnancy, comfort and individual needs. Osteopathy can also sit comfortably alongside advice and care from your midwife, GP, physiotherapist or wider maternity team.

Why can pregnancy cause lower back and pelvic pain?

Pregnancy involves continuous physical changes. As your baby grows, your weight distribution changes and your abdomen becomes more prominent. These changes can influence how you stand, walk, sit and move.

The pelvis and surrounding structures  have also to adapt to changing loads and movement patterns. Pelvic girdle pain can involve the joints at the front of the pelvis, known as the symphysis pubis, and the sacroiliac joints at the back.

PGP is sometimes referred to as symphysis pubis dysfunction (SPD), although PGP is the broader term now commonly used.

Symptoms can vary considerably between individuals. You may experience:

• Pain across one or both sides of the lower back
• Pain around the pubic bone
• Hip or groin discomfort
• Pain extending towards the thighs
• Difficulty walking
• Pain when climbing stairs
• Discomfort when standing on one leg
• Pain when turning over in bed
• Difficulty getting in or out of a car

The NHS identifies walking, using stairs, standing on one leg, turning in bed and moving the legs apart as activities that may aggravate PGP.

For some women, these symptoms can affect much more than physical comfort. Pain may make it harder to sleep, work, exercise, travel or carry out normal daily activities.

How is pregnancy-related back or pelvic pain assessed?

Understanding what may be contributing to your symptoms is an important first step.

An osteopathic assessment may consider:

The aim is not simply to identify where it hurts, but to understand how your symptoms affect movement and everyday life.

An osteopath can assess musculoskeletal factors that may be contributing to your discomfort and discuss whether hands-on treatment could be appropriate. Where symptoms indicate that medical or obstetric assessment would be helpful, your practitioner can also advise you to speak with your midwife, GP or maternity team.

Can osteopathy help pregnancy-related lower back pain?

Research has investigated osteopathic manipulative treatment for lower back pain during pregnancy.

A systematic review and meta-analysis examining osteopathic manipulative treatment for low back and pelvic girdle pain during and after pregnancy included 5 studies involving pregnant women. The review reported moderate-quality evidence of reduced pain and improved functional status, although the authors recommended further, larger and higher-quality research.

Other research has been more cautious. A systematic review of complementary manual therapies included 10 studies involving 1,198 pregnant women and found some positive effects compared with usual care or relaxation, although these effects were not seen when manual therapy was compared with sham treatment.

This means osteopathy should not be presented as a guaranteed answer for every pregnancy-related pain problem. However, the available research does provide a basis for considering hands-on treatment as one option for people experiencing musculoskeletal discomfort during pregnancy.

For some patients, the potential benefits may include gentler movement, improved mobility, reduced discomfort and greater confidence with everyday activities.

The most appropriate approach will depend on the individual, their symptoms and their wider pregnancy care.

What might osteopathic treatment involve?

Pregnancy-related treatment should be personalised rather than following a fixed routine.

Depending on your assessment and individual circumstances, an osteopath may use techniques such as:

• Gentle joint mobilisation
• Soft tissue techniques
• Massage-based techniques
• Movement-based treatment
• Advice around posture and positioning
• Exercise or mobility recommendations
• Guidance on modifying aggravating activities

The aim may be to ease discomfort, support comfortable movement and make everyday activities easier to manage.

Treatment can also be adapted according to your stage of pregnancy, symptoms, medical history and comfort. Your practitioner should work at a level that feels appropriate for you rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach.

For pelvic girdle pain specifically, RCOG notes that treatment can include advice on movement and activity, exercises and manual therapy from practitioners experienced in PGP during pregnancy.

What about pregnancy-related pelvic girdle pain?

PGP deserves particular attention because it can have a noticeable effect on mobility and daily life.

RCOG estimates that 1 in 5 pregnant women experience PGP. Symptoms can range from mild discomfort to pain that makes normal activities more difficult.

Recognising the pattern early can help you access appropriate advice and support.

You may notice that:

• Walking becomes increasingly uncomfortable
• You struggle to climb stairs
• Turning in bed causes pain
• Getting out of the car becomes difficult
• Putting on trousers while standing becomes uncomfortable
• You have pain when separating your legs
• One side of your pelvis feels more uncomfortable than the other

These symptoms can be useful when discussing your condition with a healthcare professional or practitioner.

The NHS advises pregnant women to speak with their midwife or GP if pelvic pain is making movement difficult, including difficulty getting out of a car, turning in bed or using stairs.

Your midwife or GP can help assess your symptoms and, where appropriate, work alongside other professionals involved in your care. Osteopathy may then form part of a wider plan to support comfort and mobility.

How can osteopathy work alongside pregnancy care?

Pregnancy care does not have to focus on one type of treatment.

Depending on your individual needs, a supportive care plan may include appropriate exercise, activity modification, physiotherapy, manual therapy, support equipment and advice from your maternity team.

Osteopath near me can be considered as one part of this wider approach.

For example, you may discuss your symptoms with your midwife or GP while also seeing a suitably qualified osteopath for musculoskeletal assessment and hands-on treatment. Where appropriate, these different forms of support can complement one another.

The goal is not to replace your usual pregnancy care. It is to ensure that you have appropriate support for both your overall health and the physical discomfort that pregnancy can sometimes bring.

What can you do alongside osteopathic treatment?

Small changes to daily movement may make certain activities more comfortable.

NHS guidance for PGP recommends staying active within comfortable limits and making practical adjustments to movements that aggravate symptoms. This can include changing position regularly, sitting down when dressing, distributing weight evenly when standing and keeping the knees together when getting in and out of a car.

You may also find it useful to consider:

• How long you spend sitting at work
• Whether your chair and desk position are comfortable
• How you get in and out of a car
• Whether particular exercises increase your symptoms
• How you turn over in bed
• How you lift or carry objects
• Whether prolonged standing makes your pain worse

The aim is not necessarily to avoid movement. Instead, identifying movements that aggravate your symptoms can help you and your practitioner understand what may need to be modified.

With the right guidance, maintaining comfortable movement can remain an important part of managing pregnancy-related discomfort.

When should pregnancy-related pain be medically assessed?

Most pregnancy-related musculoskeletal discomfort can be approached with appropriate assessment and support, but some symptoms may need medical attention.

If pelvic pain is severe, worsening or accompanied by other symptoms, speak with your midwife, GP or maternity team. They can help determine whether further medical or obstetric assessment is needed.

NHS guidance advises urgent assessment for pregnant people with pelvic pain alongside symptoms such as vaginal bleeding, unusual discharge or fluid, difficulty passing urine or stools, fever, vomiting or significant worsening pain.

A responsible approach to pregnancy-related pain therefore looks at the wider picture, not simply the location of the discomfort.

How The Art of Healing approaches pregnancy-related pain

At The Art of Healing, assessment centres on how pregnancy-related back and pelvic pain uniquely affects movement, lifestyle, and overall comfort. Rather than focusing solely on isolated symptoms, our focus is on understanding where you experience pain, which movements trigger it and how it influences everyday activities.

Our team of experienced practitioners brings specialized expertise across all areas and stages of pregnancy care. Because every pregnancy is different, we avoid a fixed, one-size-fits-all approach in favor of a personally tailored one. This allows us to adapt our treatment precisely to each patient’s needs, comfort levels and medical history, and provide appropriate support specific to the different stages of pregnancy.

To help manage discomfort as your body changes, our treatment combines gentle hands-on techniques with guided movement, exercise and practical advice where appropriate. As your pregnancy progresses, the treatment care plan adapts with you, providing continuous support to ease tension and maintain mobility.

The key takeaway

Lower back and pelvic pain are common during pregnancy, but you do not necessarily have to simply put up with discomfort that is affecting your everyday life.

Around 40.5% of pregnant women experience back pain according to one large systematic review, while PGP affects around 1 in 5 pregnancies according to RCOG.

Research into osteopathic manipulative treatment has reported potential improvements in pain and function, although the evidence is not uniform and further high-quality research is needed.

For someone experiencing persistent lower back or pelvic pain, an appropriate assessment can help identify what may be contributing to the symptoms and whether osteopathy, physiotherapy, exercise, activity modification or another form of support may be suitable.

Osteopathy can provide gentle, personalised support for some pregnant women, with treatment focused on comfort, movement and everyday function.

If pregnancy-related pain is affecting your walking, sleep, work or everyday activities, speaking with your midwife, GP or a suitably qualified osteopath can be a useful next step. Working with your wider maternity team can help ensure that your care remains appropriate throughout pregnancy.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. When should I consider osteopathy for pregnancy-related back or pelvic pain?

If back or pelvic pain is persistent or is affecting your sleep, walking, work, exercise or everyday movements, consider discussing it with a qualified practitioner. An osteopath can assess your movement and musculoskeletal symptoms and discuss whether gentle treatment may be appropriate. Your midwife, GP or maternity team should also be involved where symptoms require medical assessment.

2. Can osteopathy be used for pelvic girdle pain during pregnancy?

Specific osteopathic or manual therapy techniques may form part of a wider approach to managing pelvic girdle pain during pregnancy. Depending on your symptoms and assessment, treatment may include gentle manual techniques, movement advice and exercises. The suitability of treatment depends on your individual circumstances and stage of pregnancy.

3. Is osteopathic treatment different during pregnancy?

Treatment may be adapted to accommodate the physical changes associated with pregnancy. Your practitioner may modify positioning, techniques and treatment intensity according to your symptoms, pregnancy stage, comfort and clinical assessment.

4. Can I have osteopathy if my pregnancy-related pain is affecting my mobility?

Pain that makes walking, climbing stairs, turning in bed or getting in and out of a car difficult should be assessed. Osteopathy may be considered as part of the management plan when the assessment indicates that musculoskeletal factors may be contributing to the symptoms. If symptoms are significant or unusual, your midwife, GP or maternity team can help determine whether further assessment is needed.

5. Will I still need exercise or physiotherapy if I have osteopathic treatment during pregnancy?

You may still benefit from exercise, physiotherapy or other forms of pregnancy care. Depending on your symptoms and circumstances, a combination of hands-on treatment, appropriate exercise, activity modification and professional guidance may provide broader support than relying on one approach alone.