Postpartum pelvic pain: what functional training adds, according to a new study

Pelvic girdle pain is one of the most common complaints after childbirth, and is usually treated with pelvic floor physiotherapy. A randomised controlled trial published in March 2026 in Scientific Reports looked at whether adding functional training to that standard treatment improves outcomes.

Forty women with postpartum pelvic girdle pain took part, split into two groups of 20: one received conventional pelvic floor physiotherapy, and the other received the same treatment plus a functional training programme. The researchers measured pain (visual analogue scale), function using the Pelvic Girdle Questionnaire, pelvic floor electromyographic activity, and a hip mobility test (active straight leg raise).

Both groups improved, but the group that added functional training showed significantly greater improvements in pain, in the function questionnaire, and in pelvic floor muscle activation patterns after treatment.

It's a small study — 40 participants at a single centre — so its results should be read as a promising signal rather than a definitive conclusion; the authors themselves point to the need for larger trials. Even so, it reinforces an idea we share: in postpartum recovery, combining active, functional work with a manual approach tends to give better results than either one alone.

This summary is for information only and does not replace an individual assessment. If you have persistent pelvic pain after giving birth, talk to your midwife or obstetrician, or ask us for an assessment.