Pregnancy Forums

Posted: 15 March 2009 at 8:52pm | IP Logged

Hi all, I'm new here...I'm a Canadian gal living in the USA.  I have had SPD since I was three months pregnant with my first child, and now, 1 1/2 yrs later I am still suffering.  I'm not sure where most of you are from, but if any of you are in England, where I only wish I was right now after reading this article. I think you may find this of great interest....I can't post the link b/c I have not been a member long enough, but I have copied and pasted it at the end of this post.

I have not even come across a single person of the nine specialists I have seen, who can properly diagnose my problem or even know what SPD is.  Nor do they care, when I tell them.  I am going to phone this british osteopath this week and see if he can offer any suggestions.  Then I am going to try and make an appointment with an osteopath here and see if they can do something similar.  Thanks for the warning sasha12  Even though this Dr. Wells cannot treat me, I hope he can help me know how to find a competent osteopath who can offer similar treatment and help me to know when I am going to a "quack." 

I will keep you posted if there is any interest. 

«Published Date: 18 May 2006

AN OSTEOPATH is offering a lifeline to pregnant women with an excruciating condition that has no conventional cure.

Hector Wells believes his new treatment could put Banbury on the medical map.
He is so confident in his ability to alleviate Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction (SPD) that he is offering a free initial consultation and a money-back guarantee if continued treatment does not bring results.
The osteopath of 18 years and university lecturer operates his surgery from his home in Bloxham Road. "This has the potential to be a very exciting breakthrough and I've had a 100 per cent success rate in the women I've treated," he said.
"So far I've treated about 20 women who got no relief from traditional methods. If I could get three or four hundred successful documented cases we could begin more medical research which could lead to a genuinely revolutionary treatment and put Banbury on the medical map."
SPD is a very painful condition in pregnancy where the pelvis becomes unstable and stretched apart at the front by tensing muscles at the back.
As well as affecting about 70,000 pregnant women in the UK the condition can last for years after the birth. It manifests itself as a continuous ache with severe pain during movement. Conventional wisdom says it must be endured and as the foetus gets larger the condition becomes more debilitating.
"It was excruciating and devastating for me as I'm a very active person," said Emma Taylor, who says her life was transformed by Mr Wells's treatment shortly after she gave birth to Maxwell, now eight months old.
"I was on crutches, couldn't climb the stairs, walk the dogs, get into my car or properly look after my other son who is disabled and I had to be taken to hospital a couple of times.
"I'd never heard of SPD until my midwife told me about it when I began to get pains 26 weeks into my pregnancy. My doctor said there was little they could do and advised me to rest, be conscious about good posture and not over-exert myself, but I was getting worse and worse until I couldn't do anything."
Mr Wells has been honing his 'Dural Release Technique' for the past six years. It comprises a series of painless manipulations and breathing exercises designed to relax and 'unlock' the body's dura – the external membrane of the brain and spinal column. This allows the pelvic muscles to relax and release the contorted bone.
Mr Wells got the idea for his SPD treatment from treating babies who were upset because they were physically 'tight'. He noticed how their whole body would relax and tried the same techniques on adults.
SPD continued to badly affect Mrs Taylor of Swalcliffe after she gave birth. It was when she took son Maxwell to see Mr Wells the pioneering osteopath offered to treat her too.
"After just one treatment the results were fantastic," she said. "I was absolutely amazed when I got home, the difference in my mobility was unbelievable."
Mr Wells's Dural Release Technique can be used to effectively treat a whole host of ailments and helps with anxiety stress and flexibility. His offer of free treatment to SPD sufferers applies to people with a GP in the Banbury Guardian readership area and runs for a limited time. To find out more, call Mr Wells on 01295 265267.

Posted: 16 March 2009 at 1:55pm | IP Logged

I found the link its available here for anyone who wants it.

I am surprised I havent heard of this before. It does look positive I have to say. Although considering it was written in 2006 I am a little surprised that it hasn't been made more public. I cant find any new, more recent info on it anywhere on the Internet.

Personally Osteopaths is the only route I havent gone down although I know some people have good results and certainly this method seems to work. I can understand why it would work in some circumstances although I think there is a little more to SPD than just that. For example many people with SPD also have Hypermobility Syndrome.

Personally my stork x rays show I have no cartilage left between my Symphysis Pubis joints which means that even which this treatment I would still need more intensive treatment. However I would be interested to hear how you get on finding an Osteopath who will do this.

I have found one of the biggest issues with people like Chiropractors and Osteopaths is that someone may get on very well with, for example, a Chiropractor, so let others know. They will find a chiropractor and find they don't get the same results  - often because different practitioners work in different ways and use different methods.

Anyway good luck. I have had severe SPD for over 4 and half years now and am now awaiting surgery as I have tried the more conservative methods and they have all been unsuccessful as long term strategies. I hope you get more luck.

I look forward to getting to know you some more. I found finding a good specialist who understood SPD a long process but once I did (I have now found 2 very good ones - my pain clinic specialist and my consultant surgeon) it made such a huge difference to the treatment I received and how I was treated.

Posted: 16 March 2009 at 9:07pm | IP Logged

Madz,

Sorry to hear of your SPD.  It's been nearly two years for me, but four years just seems soooo long. 

I was unsuccessful in getting hold of the osteopath in Banbury today.  It said the number was no longer in service.  However, I checked the website and according to that, he's still there, so maybe I didn't dial out of the country properly.  At this point, baby woke up and I had to put it off until tomorrow.

Osteopath is the only thing I have not tried, too.  I have been to 9 different specialists/doctors.  I have found temporary relief from a few of them, but am broke now!!  And in debt.  Yeah, it stinks.

Maybe I can make a few suggestions?  I think I would consider surgery as well if this drags on forever, but would definitely want to avoid it if there was ANY hope of being completely normal again, as I understand there will still be some discomfort/pain after surgery.  If you are willing to hold of another few months, there is one more thing you can try.  I have just started doing it myself about five months ago, and it seems to be working.

There's a product called MSM available online or in healthfood stores.  It's important to get the one that says OPTIMSM on the ingredient label, because it's the more expensively processed kind.  Basically, MSM is sulphur and sulphur is what our body is made of.  However, because of the American (or British ;)  ) diet, we don't always get what we need, as it comes from eating your full daily recommended serving of fresh fruit and vegetables.  Even if you do eat lots of this (which I don't) you may not get enough because of GMO food that most farmers use now.

Anyway, whether you think you get enough or not, it's not going to hurt taking it, because it's as HARMLESS AS WATER and very, very good for you.  Here are some of the benefits:

-reduce inflammation

-repairs damaged tissue and cartlidge

-helps with food sensitivities and allergies

-helps moderate blood sugar levels in body

-detoxes body

Because of the last point, it's important to take the MSM very, very slowly, starting with 1000mg and working your way up by taking another 1000mg extra every week.  It's okay to take more than they tell you on the bottle (use the powder), especially in extreme cases like ours.  If you take it too fast, it will detox your body too fast and you will have heart palpitations and possibly anxiety. 

I am now taking 8000mg a day and this seems to be a good dosage for me, but some people take 12, 000mg a day and this is okay, too.  I don't think it would be of any great benefit to take more.

With the aid of MSM I strongly believe this will help your body to replace all the lost cartlidge, though of course it will need time to heal.

I do not have an MRI to prove it, b/c my drs won't recognize my problem, but I believe some, not all, of my cartlidge was wearing away and the MSM was helping it to repair itself.  After taking it for three months, I was no longer in extreme pain.  Just extreme discomfort.  I was even able to paint our new home with little problem, and a few months ago that would have been IMPOSSIBLE.  Hey, I'll take that!  I'm sure with time it will be minor discomfort, and then one day, gone all together. 

To further prove my theory, my family just moved to a new home and during the chaos I forgot to take my MSM.  At first, I was okay, but now I am back in pain again, though not as bad as I was originally.  I just started taking it again recently, so we'll see how long it takes to go back.

I think it's also important to get some kind of bodywork done during this time (maybe an osteopath, right now I get myofascial release on my iliopsoas muscle and a few other places and this gives me good relief, if only for a few days to a week at a time).  That way, as things repair themselves, the overworked, tight muscles are getting manual manipulation and allowing the blocked nerves, joints, etc. to get proper bloodflow and nutrients.

I know a lot of people are not into natural means of healing, but since every other alley has been exhausted....why not give it a try?  Got nothing to lose, and if enough people are willing to try and stick it out consistently for a few months, we might start to see changes.

I by no means think that MSM alone can heal our SPD ridden bodies, but I think it can help repair them so that when we get treatment, etc. our body is prepared to deal with it.

Anyway, sorry this is so long, it just seems like something that MIGHT actually help.  It would make sense, wouldn't it, that if our bodies don't have the nutrition needed to heal properly (plus think about it, while growing the baby and breastfeeding, our body continues to lose more and more nutrients) that treatments aren't going to take well because our body can't support it.

Magnesium is also a helpful thing, I've found, but I'll save that for another post if you're interested. 

Let me know what you think of all this, I'm interested in feedback.  Also willing to answer questions. =)

Posted: 16 March 2009 at 9:47pm | IP Logged

Sorry to say that I have tried MSM and it isnt for me I am afraid.

I started to work for a company who sell Aloe Vera Products in the UK and one of their gel drinks contains MSM. Aloe Vera helps with the absorbtion of MSM so it is a good idea to take the two together.

Anyway I was never able to actually work for the company as just after I signed up my SPD flared up 10 fold again and I was unable to do anything. So I decided after hearing so many positive stories of the product I would try it. I started it and used it for a long period of time (cant remember exactly how long but it was more than enough to give it a chance) and although I did notice a small improvement, nothing major happened.

During this time I then had to start using morphine based medication to deal with the pain. The problem was because I was taking these extra products which affect the absorbtion of medication into my system it was a risk to take morphine with it at the levels I was starting to require so I weaned off the Aloe/MSM and didnt notice a major drop in pain levels.

I now take the equivelent of around 650mg of morphine a day (I use Fentanyl Patches and Lozenges) to deal with the pain. I cant risk added to that in case anything reacts with it.

Saying that I do fully agree that MSM and Aloe Vera can be amazing in some cases. I have spoken to people who used to use 14 inhalers a day for asthma who now take 1 day after using Aloe Vera Gel. I know of someone who was diagnosed with terminal cancer, who is now cancer free after taking Aloe. I have heard of amazing stories of people wheelchair bound in pain now walking and working and in very little pain through using Aloe and MSM. It DOES work - but unfortunately not for me.

On the note of surgery. I was the same as you, in fact my view was that I WOULD NOT need surgery, something else would work for me. I tried everything and fought tooth and nail for every treatment. I tried prolotherapy (injection therapy) which was hugely successful for a period, but then started to fail. In 2006 I was told I would need surgery and I refused to listen. I was told the same thing again in July 2008 and I had to take note. I had spent 3 years trying everything going by that point and suffering for even longer.

So in January 2009 I finally had an appt with a top specialist in pelvic surgery and was so impressed with him. He took me seriously, fully understood and believed the pain I was in, and offered me a solution. He does believe he can get me walking again and pretty much pain free. He said I could have another pregnancy and could be much the same as anyone else.

He admitted there are risks and chances it wont work, and we will talk more about that on my next visit, but he seems very positive and I have spoken to a patient of his who had the surgery in June 2008 who is doing extremely well. It will be a long road to recovery. I will be total non weight bearing and virtually bed bound for a minimum of 3 months and possibly more.

I will know more once I have the MRI (the wheels of the NHS turn slowly) but I have now realised my only hope is surgery. I am struggling through the days with that light at the end of the tunnel now, the chance to one day run around with my son. It keeps me going!

Anyway I have written an essay and I am sorry! Thanks so much for the suggestion and I really hope the info helps someone else. 

Posted: 17 March 2009 at 3:41am | IP Logged

Thanks for all the extra info.  I'm still a little hopeful, because hope is all I've got to hang on to at this point, as I'm sure we all feel, but a little discouraged too.  I hope, hope, hope that the MSM is really what was giving me such a good month, and why I'm not feeling the greatest now, but I've had ups and downs before and I just don't want to find out it was all a coinsedence.  I guess the next couple of months will tell.  I've also got a private pilates session on Saturday to see if some very mild pilates for my almost non-existent core muscles will give a boost to how I'm feeling.

Madz, you sound sooo much like me, determined to avoid surgery, trying anything and everything else- I can't imagine going so long and having so many failed attempts to recover.  It must've been so discouraging.  I hope that one day, one of us will stumble across the magic cure.  It's hard for me to believe that surgery is the only solution, though it's obviously the only KNOWN one right now.  Do you have a date for the surgery, yet?

Look forward to hearing more from you in the future.

Posted: 17 March 2009 at 10:57am | IP Logged

Please please dont feel disheartened. I know MSM works very well with lots of people and I am sure that is what is giving you the relief you feel now.

Be very careful with the pilates. My physio told me I should only try pilates if the instructor knew about SPD and could monitor me carefully as a lot of pilates positions (like Yoga) are actually very bad for SPD. I am sure you know that though and are very careful.

It has been a hard road to the surgery. I was also determined not to take morphine, and also not to claim disability living allowance. However as my condition worsened and the treatments I tried all failled I had to change my views on all this. I felt this way only as I was determined that the SPD wouldnt take over my life. Now it has.

I made the surgery decision after my last bout of prolotherapy which failled and my consultant told me they had never refered anyone for pelvic fusion surgery in the past but my case was so much worse than any they had seen.

It wasnt a step I took lightly but I did it for my family. My son helps me out of bed every morning, fetches my sticks for me, helping me with all sorts. My husband has to help me off the toilet sometimes and carries me up the stairs and lifts me out of bed. We cant do most of our hobbies (we used to go walking, cycling, I love horseriding, etc). I want them to have the chance for a normal life and after 4 and half years of trying, I dont think I will get there without surgery.

However I would never recommend surgery with anyone who isnt an expert in treating pelvis's or had treated SPD many times previously.

I wont have a surgery date until I have had my MRI. I am fighting to get it bought forward as I dont want to wait much longer. I am fed up of being in limbo and want to go back and see my consultant so we can talk through the operation in detail.

Dont get me wrong - I am very very scared about this. But I am also excited. This is my chance to get my life back.

I have heard horror stores about the op but since speaking with Professor Giannoudis I feel so much better. He understands far more than any orthopedic consultant I have spoken to or have heard about from others. I trust him.

Posted: 21 January 2010 at 11:01pm | IP Logged

Dear Emma

I am the osteopath who this article is about. I have been treating spd for some years now and I am quiet confident with the approach. I see you have been suffering for 4 years, that gives me a number of clues regarding you.

When I am not successful with spd I find a number of problems are repetative, not what you want to hear. However the most common mum who I can't help has had some sort of previous spinal trauma, almost every time they have been horse riders. It is like a grumbling disc, or sub-clinical disc.

In your case I know nothing, but if you don't repond to manual therapy you may find you need to get another approach. I would suggest you find a swimming pool or hydro-therapy. I would try to get as much flexion in you spine as possible. The more flexion the more relaxed the spine will be. You need to get someone to look at your spine when rolled in a ball. Look at your, neck, thorax, lumbar; the area that appears most straight (extended ie not flexed). It is most likely that area is contributing to the symptoms. I find if I get the spine as flexed as possible the symptoms seems to get immediate relief, very few don't respond. Try to get physio support, I can only give you direction not advice that might yield some results. good luck. Rememebr more flexion the more relaxed the spine, don't force it. Don't over load it please.

All the best

yours

hector

Posted: 23 January 2010 at 1:58am | IP Logged

Wow, thank you SO much for your response.  I tried to call your office over a year ago, but the number wouldn't work- perhaps because I was calling from the states?  Anyway, this is great to know, as I am still suffering and can't seem to find anybody who is familiar with this condition.  I will be taking your info to the next person I see for treatment, and hope there will be progress. 

Thanks again!  I really appreciate you taking the time to help.  I am confident I can recover, it's just finding the right treatment.  Maybe this is the missing piece.

Sincerely,

Emma