Table 4.
Secondary outcome measure: assessment of severity of pelvic girdle pain by an independent examiner before intervention and at follow up after last treatment. Values are numbers (percentages) unless stated otherwise
|
Standard group
|
Acupuncture group
|
Stabilising exercise group
|
Group comparisons after treatment
|
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inclusion (n=130) | Follow up (n=108) | Inclusion (n=125) | Follow up (n=110) | Inclusion (n=131) | Follow up (n=112) | Comparison | P value* | |
| Tests for assessment of pelvic girdle pain | ||||||||
| Positive pain drawing | 130 (100) | 100 (93) | 125 (100) | 94 (85) | 131 (100) | 97 (87) | NS | |
| Posterior pelvic pain provocation test | 130 (100) | 92 (85) | 125 (100) | 72 (65) | 131 (100) | 95 (85) | ACU-S
|
0.0021
|
| ACU-SE | 0.0024 | |||||||
| Pain when turning in bed | 130 (100) | 95 (88) | 125 (100) | 73 (66) | 131 (100) | 80 (71) | ACU-S
|
<0.001
|
| SE-S | 0.0072 | |||||||
| Palpation of public symphysis | 47 (36) | 50 (46) | 51 (41) | 32 (29) | 62 (47) | 39 (35) | ACU-S | 0.0261 |
| Patrick's fabere test | 65 (50) | 57 (53) | 69 (55) | 36 (33) | 74 (56) | 47 (42) | ACU-S | 0.0084 |
| Trendelenburg's test | 51 (39) | 43 (40) | 52 (42) | 30 (27) | 45 (34) | 30 (27) | NS | |
| Subgroups of pelvic girdle pain | ||||||||
| Pelvic girdle syndrome | 34 (26) | 33 (31) | 43 (34) | 20 (18) | 49 (37) | 25 (22) | NS | |
| Double sided sacroiliac pain | 47 (36) | 50 (46) | 51 (41) | 32 (29) | 62 (47) | 39 (35) | ACU-S | 0.0261 |
| One sided sacroiliac pain + symphysis pubis pain | 49 (38) | 45 (42) | 51 (41) | 23 (21) | 63 (48) | 36 (32) | ACU-S | 0.0027 |
| One sided sacroiliac pain | 130 (100) | 92 (85) | 125 (100) | 72 (65) | 131 (100) | 95 (85) | ACU-S
|
0.0021
|
| ACU-SE | 0.0024 | |||||||
ACU=acupuncture; S=standard; SE=stabilising exercise.
*
P values from χ2 test. All original P values were multiplied by three (Bonferroni's correction); NS=not significant.