BACKGROUND: Low back and pelvic pain in pregnant women is a clinical condition of which the etiology is multifactorial. Thus, various variables can influence the low back and pelvic pain’s intensity.OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to analyze the influence of the gestational trimester, practice of physical activity and weight gain on the intensity of low back and pelvic pain in low risk pregnant women.METHODS: Two hundred and sixty-seven pregnant women participated in this study. The gestational age, body mass index, weight gain, physical activity practice and the low back and pelvic pain were evaluated.RESULTS: We found a significant difference (P= 0.02) in pain intensity, when comparing active and sedentary pregnant women. No significant differences were found when comparing pain intensity between the gestational trimesters (2ndversus 3rd; P= 0.60). There was no significant relation between the weight gain and pain intensity (r= 0.03 false|P= 0.28). The multivariate analysis indicated that sedentary pregnant women have a higher risk (P= 0.001) of intense pain and the pain is not influenced by the weight gain (P= 0.08) and the gestational trimester (P= 0.98).CONCLUSIONS: Sedentary pregnant women have 30% more chances to have higher pain intensities when compared to the active women, regardless of the gestational trimester and weight gain.

O relato de caso avaliou os efeitos do Método Pilates (MP) sobre o nível de dor, esforço, qualidade de vida e flexibilidade em uma paciente (63 anos), encaminhada por reumatologista, com diagnóstico de Fibromialgia de acordo com os critérios do Colégio Americano de Reumatologia (CAR). A paciente realizou exercícios no solo e nos aparelhos, durante 4 semanas, em um estúdio especializado para a prática deste método sob a orientação de uma fisioterapeuta certificada no MP. Nos momentos pré e pós-tratamento foi submetida aos seguintes protocolos de avaliação: ficha de avaliação fisioterapêutica para registro de dados pessoais, número de pontos dolorosos e índice miálgico; dolorimetria por meio da Escala Visual Analógica (EVA) e Algômetro de Fisher; questionário de impacto da Fibromialgia (FIQ), e nível de flexibilidade (Flexiteste adaptado). A intensidade e a progressão do treinamento tiveram como parâmetros: a percepção subjetiva de esforço (PSE) e a pressão arterial (PA). Os resultados apontaram melhora em todas as variáveis analisadas, com exceção da PA que permaneceu inalterada. Conclui-se que o MP é um tratamento alternativo para minimizar os efeitos deletérios da doença, porém são necessárias mais estudos para o melhor entendimento dos efeitos observados.Palavras-chave: fibromialgia, exercício, qualidade de vida, fisioterapia.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The various gestational adaptations may lead to changes in the gait pattern. Also, the lumbopelvic pain in this period can impact the gait dynamics. The objective of this study was to compare gait variables between pregnant women with and without lumbopelvic pain, according to the gestational trimesters, and to compare the outcome variables between the second and third gestational trimesters. METHODS: Analytical and cross-sectional study with 277 pregnant women. They were divided into two groups, considering the gestational trimester as a grouping factor. Subsequently, the two groups were subdivided considering the absence or presence of lumbopelvic pain. All participants were submitted to the evaluation protocol: identification form, visual analog scale, and gait assessment using the Balance Master System®. RESULTS: The chronological age averages of the second and third-trimester groups were, respectively, 29.9±4.6 and 29.7±3.7 years. When comparing gait variables between pregnant women with and without lumbopelvic pain, a statistically significant difference was observed only for the gait velocity (p=0.04) in the third-trimester group. CONCLUSION: It is suggested that women in the third trimester with complaints of lumbopelvic pain have reduced gait velocity when compared to those without pain.

Ojective: To analyze the relationship between practice time in the Pilates method and the electromyographic response of the pelvic floor muscles (PFM) in climacteric women. Design: An observational study. Participants: Twenty-eight (28) climacteric women with a mean age of 53.97 (± 6.11) years and a minimum period of 6 months of practicing the Pilates Method. Main Outcome Measures: An evaluation sheet containing sociodemographic, obstetric and gynecological data. Electromyographic capture of PFM by surface electromyography (Miotool Uro 200, Miotec®, Brazil). Results: The results showed that the electromyographic data (base tone, maximum voluntary contraction, sustained contraction) did not show statistical correlation between the data (r > -0.057; p > 0.63). Conclusions: The Pilates Method does not seem to influence the electromyographic response of PFM. The findings suggest that this cannot be considered a specific activity for training the pelvic floor muscles.

Background: Researchers have sought to evaluate the relationship between sociodemographic characteristics and life habits in maintaining the postural balance of specific populations. However, studies based on analyzing in detail the influence of these factors on this body function in pregnant women are scarce. Objective: To analyze the association between sociodemographic, obstetric, anthropometric and lifestyle characteristics and changes in postural balance in pregnant women. Method: Cross-sectional study carried out from February 2012 to March 2015 at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN). The sample consisted of 263 pregnant women. Balance Master System® (NeuroCom, Clackamas, USA) was used for balance evaluation. The bivariate analysis was performed by applying the chi-square test (x 2). Results: The results suggest that the absence of alterations in the variables related to static postural balance is associated with higher levels of education, higher income and age over 29 years (x 2 = 4.73, P = 0.03). In addition, during the evaluation of the dynamic balance, it was verified that the absence of abnormalities is related to income higher than 4 minimum wages (x 2 = 3.98, P = 0.04), while changes in lateral displacement were associated with lower body weight (up to 68 kg) (x 2 = 12.2, P = 0.03). Conclusion: There is an association between sociodemographic characteristics, life habits and changes in the postural balance of pregnant women.