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Pregnancy-related pelvic girdle pain research

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I think the goal of all health research should be to give supportive, respectful, accessible care that really understands the lived experiences of people with pelvic pain.
Jasmine Darley, University of Plymouth

Improving recruitment and retention in studies investigating pregnancy-related pelvic girdle pain

At our recent AGM (19th June 2025), Jasmine Darley from the University of Plymouth kindly presented a summary of her PhD research for us. You can watch her talk here, or read a summary below.

 

 

Why Your Voice Matters: New Research on Pelvic Girdle Pain

The problem: We know manual therapy works for pregnancy-related pelvic girdle pain (PGP), but not enough research exists to make it widely available on the NHS. Meanwhile, many women are still being told “it’s just hormones” or “it’ll get better after birth” – messages we know aren’t true.

What This Research Is About

Jasmine is investigating why pregnant women with PGP aren’t participating in research studies, and how we can change that. Her goal? To understand what women actually need from researchers so that future studies work better for everyone involved.

The stark reality: Only just over half of PGP research studies achieve their recruitment targets. Without enough participants, we can’t prove treatments work – which means they don’t get recommended.

What The Research Has Found So Far

The biggest barrier: Trust. After experiencing dismissive healthcare, many women are understandably reluctant to participate in research.

Current recruitment methods aren’t working well:

– Most studies rely on clinician referrals (midwives, physios)

– Many don’t consider the practical realities of being pregnant and in pain

What women may actually need to encourage them to take part:

– Flexible appointments that work around their lives

– Childcare support

– Researchers who truly listen and understand their experiences

– Clear communication about why the research matters

– Minimal time commitment – respect that participants are busy and in pain

Why This Matters

Better research means:

– More treatment options available on the NHS

– Healthcare providers who understand PGP properly

– Policy changes based on evidence

– Care that respects women’s experiences

How You Can Help

The researcher is looking for women with lived experience of PGP to share their thoughts through interviews starting this autumn. This is your chance to help shape how future research is designed – making it more accessible and respectful of what women actually need.

Because when research works better for participants, we get better evidence. And better evidence means better care for everyone.

Keep up to date with our progress and news

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