Bibliographic Info
GuidelineWHO recommendations on maternal health: guidelines approved by the WHO Guidelines Review Committee, second edition. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2025
Year of Publication2023
Issuing InstitutionWorld Health Organization
Recommendation
Status
Updated
Recommended
Regular exercise throughout pregnancy is recommended to prevent low back and pelvic pain. There are a number of different treatment options that can be used, such as physiotherapy, support belts and acupuncture, based on a woman’s preferences and available options.
Notes and Remarks
- 1.Exercise to prevent low back and pelvic pain in pregnancy can take place on land or in water. While exercise may also be helpful to relieve low back pain, it could exacerbate pelvic pain associated with symphysis pubis dysfunction and is not recommended for this condition.
- 2.Regular exercise is a key component of lifestyle interventions, which are recommended for pregnant women as part of ANC to prevent excessive weight gain in pregnancy (see Recommendation A.9).
- 3.Pregnant women with low back and/or pelvic pain should be informed that symptoms usually improve in the months after birth.
- 4.Women should be informed that it is unclear whether there are side-effects to alternative treatment options due to a paucity of data.
- 5.Standardized reporting of outcomes is needed for future research on treatment for low back and/or pelvic pain in pregnancy.