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BMI, pain and hyper-mobility are determinants of long-term outcome for women with low back pain and pelvic pain during pregnancy

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Abstract

Low back pain and pelvic pain (LBPP) is common during pregnancy and up to 40% of women still have symptoms half a year after delivery. The aim of the study was to investigate determinants and the prevalence of persistent LBPP after pregnancy in a Swedish cohort. In a previous study 891 women had responded to a questionnaire on risk factors and prevalence of LBPP during pregnancy. Altogether 72% (n=639) of the women had reported LBPP during pregnancy. These respondents were sent a second questionnaire at approximately 6 months after delivery. The response rate was 72.6% (n=464). Independent t-test and Pearson’s chi-squared test were used to test the difference between the two groups. In response to the questionnaire, 43.1% of the women reported persistent LBPP 6 months after delivery. Women with persistent LBPP after pregnancy had had significantly earlier onset of pain during pregnancy, higher maternal age, higher body mass index (BMI), and assessed a higher level of pain due to LBPP during pregnancy and after pregnancy, and included a higher proportion of women with joint hyper-mobility. In summary, recurrent or continuous LBPP is prevalent after pregnancy. BMI as well as hyper-mobility are prominent determinants of persistent LBPP after pregnancy. Level and onset of pain during pregnancy were strong predictors of persistent LBPP.

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Abbreviations

Q1:

The first questionnaire after delivery

Q2:

The second questionnaire at approximately 6 months after delivery

SD:

Standard deviation

VAS:

Visual analogue scale

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Acknowledgments

The author is grateful to Anna Pohjanen, gynecologist at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sunderby Hospital for good collaboration on data collection; and the project assistant, Anita Nilsson, for the excellent assistance. The author would like to thank all women participants for sharing their obstetric history and experiences during pregnancy and after delivery. This study was supported by grants from the County Council of Västerbotten, the Joint Committee of the Northern Sweden Health Care Region, and the Medical Faculty of Umeå University.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Clinical Science, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden

    Ingrid M. Mogren

  2. Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Public Health Sciences, Umeå University, S-901 87, Umeå, Sweden

    Ingrid M. Mogren

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  1. Ingrid M. Mogren
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Correspondence to Ingrid M. Mogren.

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Mogren, I.M. BMI, pain and hyper-mobility are determinants of long-term outcome for women with low back pain and pelvic pain during pregnancy. Eur Spine J 15, 1093–1102 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00586-005-0004-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00586-005-0004-9

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