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Managing back pain in pregnancy using a support garment: a randomised trial

  1. SM Kalus1,
  2. LH Kornman1,*,
  3. JA Quinlivan2

Article first published online: 12 NOV 2007

DOI: 10.1111/j.1471-0528.2007.01538.x

Issue

BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology

BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology

Volume 115, Issue 1, pages 68–75, January 2008

Additional Information

How to Cite

Kalus, S., Kornman, L. and Quinlivan, J. (2008), Managing back pain in pregnancy using a support garment: a randomised trial. BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, 115: 68–75. doi: 10.1111/j.1471-0528.2007.01538.x

Author Information

  1. 1

    Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, the University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia

  2. 2

    Sydney School of Medicine, The University of Notre Dame Australia, Broadway, New South Wales, Australia

*Dr LH Kornman, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The University of Melbourne, The Royal Women’s Hospital, 132 Grattan Street, Carlton 3053 Victoria, Australia. Email louisehk@unimelb.edu.au

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 12 NOV 2007
  2. Article first published online: 12 NOV 2007
  3. Accepted 28 August 2007. Published OnlineEarly 12 November 2007.

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Keywords:

  • Back pain;
  • controlled trial;
  • pelvic pain;
  • pregnancy;
  • support garment;
  • therapy

Objective  Large population studies have shown that low back pain affects about 50% of pregnant women. The aim of this study was to determine whether the use of the BellyBra® in pregnant women with back pain is associated with changes in assessments of pain severity, physical activity and satisfaction with life after 3 weeks of intervention compared with tubigrip, a more generic form of support.

Design  Randomised controlled trial.

Setting  A tertiary referral hospital in Australia.

Population  Women between 20 and 36 weeks of pregnancy with lumbar back or posterior pelvic pain.

Methods  Participants were randomised to the BellyBra® (the study device) or to tubigrip (the control) by means of computer-generated numbered, sealed, opaque envelopes.

Main outcome measures  The primary outcomes were pain severity and physical activity, and the secondary outcome was satisfaction with life.

Results  One hundred and fifteen women consented to participate in the trial. Mean visual analogue scale scores of pain severity decreased from 6.1 to 4.5 in the study device group (P= 0.001) and from 6.0 to 4.7 in the control group (P= 0.003). There was no significant difference between the groups in this outcome (P= 0.61). However, the study device group demonstrated a significantly greater reduction in Likert scale assessments of the impact of back pain on sleeping (P= 0.007), getting up from a sitting position (P= 0.02) and walking (P= 0.001) than the control group. There was also a significant reduction in the use of analgesic medication in the study group (P= 0.01).

Conclusion  The BellyBra® and tubigrip were both associated with a reduction in the severity of pregnancy-related low back pain. The BellyBra® was more effective than tubigrip, however, in alleviating the impact of pain on a number of physical activities that constitute daily life.

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