Effect of shock wave and core stability exercises on the treatment of postpartum sacroiliac joint pain: A randomized controlled trial

Background. Postpartum sacroiliac joint pain (SIJP) significantly affects women's quality of life. While core stability exercises (CSEs) are commonly prescribed, the addition of extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) may enhance treatment outcomes. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the effect of adding ESWT to CSEs on the treatment of postpartum SIJP. Methods. Forty postpartum women diagnosed with SIJP were randomly assigned to two equal groups. The control group (A) received CSEs three times per week for six weeks. The study group (B) received ESWT once per week combined with the same CSEs for six weeks. Pre- and post-treatment assessments included measuring pain intensity using the visual analogue scale (VAS), pain sensitivity via the pain pressure threshold (PPT) using pressure algometry, and functional disability using the Arabic version of the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI). Results. Within-group comparisons showed statistically significant improvements post-treatment versus pre-treatment in all outcome variables (VAS, PPT, and ODI) (p < 0.05). Between-group comparisons revealed that the study group (B) demonstrated significantly greater improvements in VAS, PPT, and ODI compared to the control group (A) post-treatment (p < 0.0001). Conclusion. Adding ESWT to CSEs is more effective in improving pain intensity, sensitivity to pain, and functional disability in postpartum women with SIJP than CSEs alone. Trial registration. ClinicalTrials.gov, retrospectively registered ID number NCT06124365