The posterior pelvic pain provocation test in pregnant women

Summary This study was done to evaluate a new, simple, non-invasive pain provocation test as an aid to differentiate between low-back and posterior pelvic pain in pregnant women. The test was performed on 72 pregnant women at various stages of pregnancy with or without low-back or posterior pelvic pain. The study was conducted by two physiotherapists with special interest in back pain in pregnancy at a normal antenatal clinic. The test was easy to learn, perform and interpret and was applicable throughout pregnancy. There was a strong correlation between a positive test answer and a history of posterior pelvic pain (P < 0.01, chi-square). There were no side-effects. The test was highly specific and had a high positive prediction value for posterior pelvic pain and a high negative prediction value for low-back pain among pregnant women.