{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,23]],"date-time":"2026-10-23T20:27:55Z","timestamp":1792787275974,"version":"4.5.0"},"reference-count":39,"publisher":"BMJ","issue":"10","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,5]],"date-time":"2026-10-05T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1791158400000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":4,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Region V\u00e4stra G\u00f6taland, Sweden","award":["VGFOUREG-220091"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["VGFOUREG-220091"]}],"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/00a4x6777","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"crossref"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["bmj.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["BMJ Open"],"accepted":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,22]]},"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,10]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Objectives<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>To explore women\u2019s lived experiences of physiotherapy for pregnancy-related pelvic girdle pain (PPGP), including how the care received corresponded to their needs and expectations.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Design<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Qualitative study using an inductive phenomenological approach. Individual semi-structured interviews were analysed using Giorgi\u2019s Descriptive Phenomenological Psychological Method.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Setting<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Primary care physiotherapy clinic in Gothenburg, Sweden.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Participants<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>10 women who had received physiotherapy for clinically verified PPGP were interviewed between March 2022 and September 2023. Participants were recruited from a primary care physiotherapy clinic and interviews were conducted by telephone or videoconference.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      Women\u2019s experiences of physiotherapy extended beyond symptom management and encompassed validation, reassurance and support in navigating the healthcare system. Three interrelated themes were identified:\n                      <jats:italic>On the threshold to physiotherapy<\/jats:italic>\n                      , describing how pain, reduced functioning, uncertainty about symptom legitimacy and social support influenced care-seeking;\n                      <jats:italic>A positive and reassuring encounter<\/jats:italic>\n                      , highlighting the importance of being listened to, receiving individualised advice and meeting a physiotherapist with expertise in PPGP; and\n                      <jats:italic>Need for proactive and collaborative maternity care<\/jats:italic>\n                      , emphasising the value of early information, timely access to physiotherapy, improved collaboration between midwives and physiotherapists and more flexible care pathways. Even when symptom relief was limited, participants considered individualised guidance, reassurance and validation meaningful outcomes of care.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Women experienced tailored physiotherapy for PPGP as meaningful and reassuring. Their experiences of seeking physiotherapy were shaped by access to information, social support and guidance within the maternity healthcare system. Early information about PPGP, timely access to physiotherapy and continuity of care was described as important aspects of care, suggesting that these areas could be considered when developing care for women with PPGP.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjopen-2026-125092","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,5]],"date-time":"2026-10-05T13:35:34Z","timestamp":1791207334000},"page":"e125092","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1136\/crossmarkpolicy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Women\u2019s experiences of physiotherapy for pregnancy-related pelvic girdle pain in primary care: a qualitative study at four months postpartum"],"prefix":"10.1136","volume":"16","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5665-0553","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Annika","family":"Svahn Ekdahl","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Health and Rehabilitation, University of Gothenburg Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Gothenburg, Sweden"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Annelie","family":"Gutke","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Health and Rehabilitation, University of Gothenburg Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Gothenburg, Sweden"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Kaisa","family":"Mannerkorpi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Health and Rehabilitation, University of Gothenburg Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Gothenburg, Sweden"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Monika","family":"Fagevik Ols\u00e9n","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Health and Rehabilitation, University of Gothenburg Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Gothenburg, Sweden"},{"name":"Department of Physiotherapy, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"239","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,5]]},"reference":[{"key":"2026100506351941000_16.10.e125092.1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s00586-008-0602-4"},{"key":"2026100506351941000_16.10.e125092.2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s00586-003-0615-y"},{"key":"2026100506351941000_16.10.e125092.3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.midw.2017.10.011"},{"key":"2026100506351941000_16.10.e125092.4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"225","DOI":"10.1111\/aogs.14714","article-title":"Prevalence of lumbopelvic pain during pregnancy: A systematic review and meta-analysis of cross-sectional studies","volume":"103","author":"Shanshan","year":"2024","journal-title":"Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand"},{"key":"2026100506351941000_16.10.e125092.5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1089\/jwh.2017.6342"},{"key":"2026100506351941000_16.10.e125092.6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"556","DOI":"10.1007\/s00586-020-06288-9","article-title":"Subjective recovery from pregnancy-related pelvic girdle pain the first 6 weeks after delivery: a prospective longitudinal cohort study","volume":"29","author":"Gausel","year":"2020","journal-title":"Eur Spine J"},{"key":"2026100506351941000_16.10.e125092.7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1953","DOI":"10.1007\/s00586-015-3959-1","article-title":"Pelvic girdle pain 3-6 months after delivery in an unselected cohort of Norwegian women","volume":"25","author":"Gausel","year":"2016","journal-title":"Eur Spine J"},{"key":"2026100506351941000_16.10.e125092.8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1186\/s12891-017-1760-5","article-title":"Prevalence and predictors of persistent pelvic girdle pain 12 years postpartum","volume":"18","author":"Bergstr\u00f6m","year":"2017","journal-title":"BMC Musculoskelet Disord"},{"key":"2026100506351941000_16.10.e125092.9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"102169","DOI":"10.1016\/j.msksp.2020.102169","article-title":"The pelvic girdle pain deadlock: 1. 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