Midwifery and Women’s Health

Biography

Biography: Gunnel Alice Linnea Berry

Abstract

Pain in the pelvis, groin and lower back is common during pregnancy. The position of the baby is commonly suggested as the source of pain, as it may rest on nerve tissue within the pelvic girdle. Conventional treatments, where offered, are often found wanting and the pregnant woman may find herself enduring discomfort for months until the baby has been delivered. In a National Health Service Physiotherapy Outpatient department in the United Kingdom it was found that an adapted form of Reflex Therapy, akin to reflexology, alleviated patients of pain within two to four treatments. The Adapted Reflex therapy (AdRx) treatment consisted of applying manual dermal pressure and manipulation to selected areas of the feet. In accordance with the theory of Reflex Therapy including Reflexology, the sites of treatment are feet, ultimate target tissue related to spine and pelvic girdle regions. A working hypothesis of AdRx mode of action involves neural plasticity, a normal, ongoing adaptive process within the nervous system. Reactive adaptations within the nervous system as a result of historic trauma to the spine (for example, road traffic accidents, falls, and deceleration from slipping and landing on the coccyx) may show up as pain in later life, including in pregnancy. AdRx, through its interaction with the nervous system may influence the nerve tissues and the musculo-skeletal tissues they serve. This can be particularly useful where pain is in intimate areas such as the symphysis pubis joint or where direct manipulation may be too painful or impossible during pregnancy. This presentation offers a brief explanation of the principles of AdRx with emphasis on neural adaptations and consequences after physical injury within the context of pregnancy. Hypothetical musculoskeletal reasoning as observed in a clinical situation is also presented