Pain turning over in bed
One of the most recognisable signs. Often the thing that first disrupts sleep.
At night
Women’s Health · Pregnancy care · Lahore
Pelvic pain in pregnancyis common.Living with it isn’t.
Pain at the front of the pelvis, in the lower back or across the buttocks affects up to one in five women during pregnancy. It is a recognised, treatable musculoskeletal condition. It is not simply part of being pregnant, and not something to wait out until delivery.
Turning in bedStairsGetting out of a carPubic bone painAny stage of pregnancyWomen-onlyConsent at every step
At a glance
Common, recognised,and treatable.
Pelvic girdle pain is managed without surgery, with hands-on therapy, exercise and load advice.
- 1 in 5Women in pregnancy
experience pelvic girdle pain.
- Any stageWhen treatment can begin
Including the third trimester.
- 3 jointsHold the pelvic ring together
Two sacroiliac joints at the back and the pubic joint at the front.
- 10 to 15 minA typical home programme
Three to five exercises, built around your real routine.
What is it?
What is pelvic girdle pain, and can physiotherapy help?
Pelvic girdle pain (PGP) is pain in the joints of the pelvis, usually the sacroiliac joints at the back or the pubic joint at the front, during or after pregnancy. It is caused by a combination of hormonal changes affecting joint stiffness, altered movement patterns, and the mechanical load of pregnancy.
Physiotherapy is one of the most effective treatments: manual therapy, targeted stabilisation exercises and practical movement advice reduce pain and improve function, and treatment can begin at any stage of pregnancy.
What you may notice
Does any of thissound like you?
Difficulty on stairs
Or getting out of a car, or putting on trousers standing up. Anything on one leg.
On one legPain at the pubic bone
A sharp or aching pain at the front of the pelvis, sometimes described as grinding.
At the frontPain across the lower back
Often on one or both sides, near the dimples above the buttocks.
At the backPain into the buttocks or thighs
It can radiate, but rarely travels below the knee.
RadiatingA clicking sensation
A feeling that the pelvis clicks, grinds or is not well supported.
ClickingSCROLL FOR THE ASSESSMENT TO FIND YOUR ROOT CAUSE
Understanding it
The pelvis is a ringthat shares load.
Your pelvis is not one solid bone. It is a ring of bones held together by three joints, two sacroiliac joints at the back and the pubic symphysis at the front, and the muscles around them.
The ring shares load
When you walk, climb stairs or turn over, the ring transfers load from one leg to the other.
In pregnancy, the joints move a little more
Hormonal changes let the joints move more, your centre of gravity shifts forward, and the muscles that normally control the ring have to work differently.
One part takes more than its share
When the load stops being shared evenly, one part of the ring takes too much, and that is where the pain is felt.
Why those movements
It shows up inone-sided moments.
This is why pelvic girdle pain is not the same as general back pain. The ring passes load between your legs, so it is usually worse when one side works alone.
Turning over in bed
Often the first thing to disrupt sleep.
Stairs
One leg carries you at a time.
Dressing
Standing on one leg to put on trousers is a common trigger.
Getting out of a car
A one-sided transfer.
How far you walk matters too: symptoms respond to dose, not just to anatomy.
Telling them apart
Pelvic girdle painis not sciatica.
They can feel similar and they need different treatment. The assessment tells them apart.
SciaticaPelvic girdle pain
What it isNerve-related painJoint- and muscle-related pain around the pelvis
Where it travelsTypically below the knee, in a specific patternCan radiate into the buttock or thigh, rarely below the knee
What helpsNeeds a different treatmentManual therapy, stabilisation exercises and movement advice
How we help
There is no single exercisefor pelvic girdle pain.
What helps is a plan built around which movements provoke your symptoms and what your days actually involve.
Hands-on treatment
- Gentle manual therapy for stiff or overworked areas
- Around the pelvis, lower back and hips
- Side-lying, seated or supported positions in later pregnancy
Stabilisation exercises
- Deep abdominal, pelvic floor and hip muscles
- Typically three to five exercises
- 10 to 15 minutes
Everyday changes
- Sleeping
- Stairs and car transfers
- Household tasks
Support belt advice
- Whether a belt suits your pattern
- How to position it
- The wrong belt, or the wrong position, can increase discomfort
Examples at home
Small, supportedpositions and moves.
Examples of the kind of thing a plan may include. Which of them suits you depends on your assessment and your stage of pregnancy.
018 to 10 slow tilts
Pelvic tilt on hands and knees
A gentle, symmetrical movement that takes weight off the pelvis.
- Kneel on all fours with your hands under your shoulders.
- Gently round your lower back, then let it return to level.
- Move slowly and stay within what is comfortable.
02As long as it is comfortable
Resting on your side
A supported position for resting and sleeping that keeps the pelvis level.
- Lie on your side with a pillow between your knees.
- Keep your knees together when you turn over.
- Breathe slowly and stay as long as it feels easy.
038 to 10 slow rolls
Sitting tall on a ball
A supported way to find a comfortable, upright sitting position.
- Sit on the ball with your feet flat and hip-width apart.
- Gently roll your pelvis forward until you are sitting tall.
- Let it roll back a little, then find tall again.
These are examples of what an assessment may build into a plan, not a programme to start on your own. Stop if anything increases your pain, and avoid high-impact, asymmetric or heavy-load work.
When to start
It is not too lateat any stage.
Treatment can begin at any point in pregnancy, and everything is adapted to your stage and comfort.
- Early pregnancy
Start when it starts
It is not something to wait out until delivery.
- Mid pregnancy
A plan for your week
Built around which movements provoke your symptoms.
- Third trimester
Still not too late
Gentle manual therapy and modified exercises, in comfortable supported positions.
- After birth
Often improves
For many women it improves significantly. Some still have pain, and treatment during pregnancy tends to shorten recovery.
Step by step
Assessment first, then a plan that fits your week.
01
A private conversation
First 15 minutes. Where the pain is, what makes it worse, how it affects sleep, work and daily life, and what stage of pregnancy you are at. Nothing is dismissed as “just pregnancy”.
02
A consent-led assessment
30 to 40 minutes. We assess how your pelvis, hips and trunk move through simple, comfortable movements. Every step is explained before it happens, and no forceful testing is used.
03
Hands-on treatment
Same session. Gentle manual therapy for stiff or overworked areas around the pelvis, lower back and hips, in a position that suits your stage.
04
Your own programme
To take home. Specific stabilisation exercises, practical changes for sleeping, stairs, car transfers and household tasks, and advice on whether a support belt suits you.
Your first visit
What actually happens,and what never does.
Appointments are one-to-one with a female physiotherapist in a private, women-only studio. There is no shared waiting room, and no part of your history is discussed with anyone else.
No internal examination is automatic
It is never mandatory or assumed. Any intimate assessment requires a clear clinical reason, is explained first, and needs your specific consent. You may decline and still be treated.
Your “no” needs no explanation
You can pause or stop a session at any point, or ask for an external approach instead. That is a normal part of care here, not an inconvenience.
Referral is good care
Obstetric, gynaecological and urogynaecology concerns are referred to the right colleague. Physiotherapy stays inside its professional scope.
You will leave your first session with an explanation of what is happening in your body, hands-on treatment if it is appropriate that day, and a short home plan built around your real routine.
Questions
Private questions, straight answers.
Is pelvic girdle pain the same as sciatica?+
No. Sciatica is nerve-related pain that typically travels below the knee in a specific pattern. Pelvic girdle pain is joint- and muscle-related pain around the pelvis, and while it can radiate into the buttock or thigh it rarely goes below the knee. They need different treatment, which is why the assessment matters.
Will it go away after I give birth?+
For many women it improves significantly after delivery, as the hormonal and mechanical loads change. Some women do continue to have pain postnatally. Getting treatment during pregnancy tends to shorten recovery and reduces the chance of the pain persisting.
I am in my eighth month. Is it too late to start?+
No. Even in late pregnancy, gentle manual therapy, posture and movement advice and modified exercises can reduce pain and make daily life easier. Everything is adapted to your stage and comfort.
Can I buy a pelvic support belt myself?+
It is better to get advice first. A belt in the wrong position, or the wrong belt for your pattern of pain, can increase discomfort. We can assess whether one suits you and show you how to position and use it.
Is it safe to exercise with pelvic girdle pain?+
Usually yes, but the type of exercise matters. General prenatal classes are not always appropriate. We prescribe specific stabilisation exercises that support the pelvis rather than stress it, and avoid high-impact, asymmetric or heavy-load work.
Will I have to have an internal examination?+
No examination is automatic or mandatory. Any intimate assessment must be clinically relevant, explained in advance and specifically consented to, and you can decline it and still receive effective treatment. Most pelvic girdle pain assessment is external movement testing.
Where exactly is the clinic in Lahore?+
The studio is a private, home-based space in Hasham Street, Karim Block, Allama Iqbal Town, Lahore. We share exact directions after booking, so your visit stays discreet.
Safety first
Some symptoms need your maternity team first.
Supported positions throughout: Late-pregnancy sessions use comfortable supported positions, and forceful techniques and high-load exercise are avoided.
These need urgent maternity assessment: Contact your maternity team, not a physiotherapy appointment.
- New bleeding
- Fluid leakage
- Regular contractions
- Severe headache or dizziness
- Chest pain
- Reduced fetal movement
Your next step
One messageis enough to begin.
You do not need the right medical words, or a diagnosis. Tell us what is getting in the way, turning in bed, stairs, walking, and we will tell you honestly whether physiotherapy can help. Women-only · One-to-one · Your details stay between you and your clinician.