The Experience of and Coping with Lumbopelvic Pain among Pregnant Women in Taiwan

Objectives. 1) To replicate and extend previous research on the prevalence and characteristics of pregnancy-related lumbopelvic pain, and 2) to examine the associations between pain intensity, pain interference, and pain coping strategies in a sample of women with pregnancy-related lumbopelvic pain. Design. Cross-sectional design. Setting. An academic public and urban medical center in Taiwan. Patients. Pregnant women without gestational or psychiatric diseases in the 35th to 41st gestational week. Interventions. N/A. Outcome Measures. Questionnaires were used to collect data on demographics, pain intensity, pain interference, and pain coping responses. Results. Of 230 consecutive cases scheduled for an outpatient obstetrics-gynecology clinic appointment, 187 agreed to participate in this study. One hundred and forty (74.9%) of these reported pregnancy-related lumbopelvic pain. Most participants with pain reported it as mild to moderate in severity and that the pain interfered with a number of daily activities. The coping responses used most often for pain management included rest (94.3%), task persistence (87.9%), and asking for assistance (87.1%). Conclusion. The results confirmed that pregnancy-related lumbopelvic pain is a common problem that interferes with important activities. Pregnant women use a number of coping strategies to manage lumbopelvic pain. A common use of passive coping responses such as rest and asking for assistance suggest the possibility of a helplessness phenomenon in response to pain among some of the study participants. Education and interventions targeting this may be warranted to minimize the chances that the lumbopelvic pain experienced during pregnancy will develop into a chronic pain problem over time.