Women Need Expanded Musculoskeletal Care During Pregnancy, Study Finds

Despite the high
prevalence of musculoskeletal pain during pregnancy, few women in
underserved populations receive treatment for their low back pain,
according to a February 2007 study in the "Journal of Manipulative and
Physiological Therapeutics" (JMPT). Moreover, researchers found that pain
in a previous pregnancy may predict a high risk for musculoskeletal
complaints in future pregnancies.


According to Clayton Skaggs, DC, the study's chief author, 85 percent
of women surveyed reported that they had not received treatment for their
musculoskeletal pain, and of the small percentage who perceived that their
back complaints were addressed, less than 10 percent were satisfied with
the symptom relief they obtained.



"Based on the findings of this study, doctors of chiropractic and other
health care professionals need to expand the musculoskeletal care available
during pregnancy, especially in underserved populations," Dr. Skaggs said.
"As a proactive step, health professionals should consider including back
pain screening as part of early obstetrical care to help identify
musculoskeletal risk factors and allow for early education and/or
treatment."



Researchers surveyed more than 600 women at a clinic that serves
predominantly an uninsured, underinsured or Medicaid-insured population.
Surveys were offered to all obstetrical patients and were designed to
collect information about pregnancy-related pain and quality of life
issues. Of those women who responded to the survey, two-thirds reported
back pain and nearly half of all women reported pain at two or more
locations, including pelvic pain and mid-back pain.



The study findings suggest that pregnant women with back pain are
predisposed to sleep disturbances. In the survey, close to 80 percent of
women reporting sleep disturbances had back pain, whereas only 8 percent of
women without pain reported problems sleeping. More alarming was the
significant relationship between reports of musculoskeletal pain and the
use of pain medication. Three-fourths of the women who reported pain also
described use of pain medication.



"We saw a direct association between sleep deficiency and back pain,"
the authors said. "These results raise the question of whether or not the
high incidence of pain medication use reflects a lack of education about
potential risks of medications or more an inability for the pregnant women
to cope with the pain."



The study's authors also found a relationship between pain in a
previous pregnancy and pain in the current pregnancy. Similar to the
results of other studies, researchers found that 85 percent of women who
experienced pain in a previous pregnancy reported pain during their current
pregnancy.



The study was the result of on-going collaboration between Logan
College of Chiropractic and the Department of Obstetrics at Washington
University School of Medicine.



The "Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics" (JMPT),
the premier biomedical publication in the chiropractic profession and the
official scientific journal of the American Chiropractic Association,
provides the latest information on current research developments, as well
as clinically oriented research and practical information for use in
clinical settings. For more information, visit JMPT's Web site at
journals.elsevierhealth/periodicals/ymmt.


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