Let's learn about the Pubic Symphysis, which can be a cause of lower abdominal pain! (Pubic Symphysis)

Do you sometimes experience a strange pain in your lower abdomen, on either side of your groin? Especially during pregnancy, or if you are a frequent sportsperson, you may be very familiar with this pain. Does this pain seem to increase when you walk, get out of bed, or spread your legs apart? Although many people think this is normal, sometimes the cause is a problem with a small joint in our body that we don't talk about much. Today we are talking about this joint called the 'Pubic Symphysis', which does a great job of keeping our pelvis stable, but can be very annoying when a problem arises.

Simply put, what is this Pubic Symphysis?

Imagine that our pelvis is like a ring. This ring is made up of several major bones. So, at the front of this pelvic ring, where the right bone and the left bone meet, there is a special joint called the Pubic Symphysis .

Now you might think that this is a joint that moves a lot, like the knee or the elbow. But it's not. It doesn't move a lot. Like a bridge connecting two banks, the main function of this joint is to hold the two pelvic bones together tightly and keep the pelvis stable. But it also has a little flexibility to absorb the shocks that occur during movements like when we walk and run. So even though we don't think much about this joint, it is very important for the balance of our body.

What are the main functions of this joint?

Let's see how important this small joint is to our body.

• Keeping the pelvis stable: This is the most important thing. This joint connects the pubic bones on the left and right sides of the pelvis and keeps them strong.
• Shock Absorption: When we walk, run, or jump, our bodies experience shock. This joint helps absorb that shock and reduce its transmission to the upper parts of the body.
• Body weight distribution: The weight of our upper body passes through the pelvis before it passes through the legs to the ground. So this joint helps to distribute that weight evenly between the legs.
• Helping with childbirth: This is the most amazing ability of this joint. Towards the end of pregnancy, this joint becomes a little looser and wider due to the influence of hormones. This happens to make room for the pelvis to easily come out for the baby during childbirth. This is something that happens naturally.

Where is this joint located and what is it made of?

The pubic symphysis joint is located at the bottom of our pelvis, right in front of the middle. It is in front of our bladder and above our genitals.

This joint is not just two bones fused together. It needs to be strong and flexible to some extent. That's why it's made up of several special parts.

What conditions affect the Pubic Symphysis?

We usually have no idea about this joint. But in some cases, it can cause problems and pain. A common name for such conditions is Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction (SPD) . There are several main conditions under this.

In addition, athletes who play sports like football and hockey, who change direction suddenly, and who run fast, can also develop injuries related to this.

How do you know there is a problem? What are the symptoms?

If there is a problem with the pubic symphysis, the main symptoms are pain and pelvic instability. This pain can come in many forms. Some people experience a sharp pain in the middle of their lower abdomen. For others, the pain can radiate down their groin, down their inner thighs, down their entire abdomen, into their hips, and down their back.

Watch out for these symptoms:

• Pain when walking: Pain in the groin or lower abdomen when walking, especially when climbing stairs. Some people hear or feel a 'clicking' sound when walking.
• Difficulty standing on one leg: Severe pain when trying to stand on one leg, such as when putting on a dress.
• Difficulty turning over in bed: Pain increases when trying to turn over on the other side of the bed while sleeping at night.
• Difficulty moving your legs apart: Sharp pain when you have to move your legs apart, such as when getting out of a vehicle.
• Stiffness in the groin: Not being able to bend or straighten your legs as well as before, and feeling a loss of flexibility in the groin area.
• A grinding sound when moving: A "lack of lubrication" feeling when moving the pelvis, a grinding sound.

So, how do we keep this joint healthy?

We can't control things like hormonal changes during pregnancy. However, there are a few things we can do to minimize the risks and injuries to this joint.

• Strengthening the pelvic floor and abdominal muscles: This is the most important thing. When the muscles around the pelvis are strong, they provide a good spot for the joint. There are special exercises (Pelvic floor exercises and core strengthening) that help with this. You can get advice from a physiotherapist about this.
• Wear the right shoes: It is very important to wear comfortable shoes that fit your feet. This will reduce the shock to your body when walking.
• Exercise method: Don't start doing difficult exercises all at once. Ease into exercise gradually. Warm up well before exercising.
• Exercise surface: Avoid running and jumping on hard surfaces, such as concrete, as much as possible. Exercising on a soft, flat surface, such as a grassy field, is better for your joints.

While we often think about the larger joints in our bodies, like our knees and shoulders, you may now understand how important small, less mobile joints like the Pubic Symphysis are to the proper functioning of our bodies. So, don't ignore these signs of pain from your body.