Bibliographic Info
GuidelineWHO recommendations on antenatal care for a positive pregnancy experience
Year of Publication2016
Issuing InstitutionWHO
Recommendation
Status
Maintained
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.
Also Featured In
This recommendation also appears in the following guidelines:
Guideline
WHO consolidated guideline on self-care interventions for health: sexual and reproductive health and rights
Year2019
InstitutionWHO
Guideline
WHO guideline on self-care interventions for health and well-being
Year2021
InstitutionWHO
Guideline
WHO guideline on self-care interventions for health and well-being, 2022 revision.
Year2022
InstitutionWHO