The Importance of Pelvic and Leg Length Assessment in the Setting of Postpartum Lower Back Pain

Abstract

One of the most common complaints during pregnancy is lower back pain. Women believe that this will disappear after they give birth, however, there are a significant number of women who suffer from persistent, unresolving pain that affects their daily lives. Very often, women will wrongfully blame the epidural anesthesia as the cause, however, there are physiologic and anatomic changes that occur. Patients often experience persistent pain when there is an absence of proper postpartum management. The lack of proper management can lead to unresolved pelvic rotation and dislocation, resulting in short leg syndrome. The common treatment for postpartum lower back pain includes various analgesics, physical therapy, and steroid injections. However, with a proper pelvic assessment, treatment with osteopathic manipulation alone, or reinforced with anesthesia, can be successful. Here, we present a case in which a patient presented with persistent lower back two years postpartum. She had been treated with common modalities prior to coming to our clinic and was subsequently found to have a short leg. We discuss the importance of a proper pelvic and leg length assessment in women who present with postpartum lower back pain, as well as how to both prevent and treat short leg syndrome in postpartum patients.