6533b7d7fe1ef96bd126797f

RESEARCH PRODUCT

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subject

Pregnancymedicine.medical_specialtyActivities of daily livingbusiness.industryQualitative interviewsMEDLINEGeneral MedicinePelvic girdle painmedicine.diseaseGeneral Biochemistry Genetics and Molecular BiologyPeer reviewSocial supportPhysical therapyMedicinemedicine.symptombusinessPostpartum period

description

Background: The aim of this study was to explore how pelvic girdle pain after delivery influences women’s daily life in Norway. Knowledge about living with post-partum pelvic girdle pain is lacking. Method: A phenomenological–hermeneutical design with qualitative semi-structured interviews was used. A strategic selection procedure was chosen to recruit participants from physiotherapy clinics and a regional hospital in Norway. Five women with clinically verified pelvic girdle pain after delivery were included. Data were imported into NVivo9 and analysed in three steps: naive reading, structural analysis and comprehensive understanding of the text. Results: Three themes influencing the women’s daily life were identified: 1) activit ya nd pain, 2) lack of acknowledgment of pain and disability, and 3) changed roles. A daily life with pain and limited physical activity was difficult to accept and made some of the women feel discouraged, isolated and lonely. Despite this, the women had a positive attitude to their problems, which may have positively increased their ability to cope. The findings also revealed the importance of a reciprocal influence between the woman and her environment, and that social support was crucial.