Question
I'm 32 weeks pregnant and went in for an adjustment for severe pubic bone pain and a left hip that wouldn't pop. The doctor (DO) didn't manage to pop the hip, but popped my pubic bone. It hurts now more than ever. I took some tylenol as he recommended, but it still hurts really bad. Did he make out worse, or is this normal?

Answer
Hi Christa,

Pregnant women are very prone to a condition called Osteitis Pubis (go to google images to see this) where the pubic bones become inflamed and sometimes develop arthritis.    I don't know what "popped my pubic bone" means, as I would need you to better describe how it was done (e.g. how were you lying on the table, and what part of which hand contacted which bone, etc).     At the least, the joint became more irritated and thus it hurts worse.   Hopefully nothing got strained at that joint, and so long as nothing really forceful was done by the DO, then I doubt your joint was sprained.    I would recommend that you place a back of ice cubes right over the pubic bone [ice in plastic bag such as a grocery store bag or newspaper plastic bag; no towels; directly on skin; 20-30 minutes direct contact that you will hate for the first 5 minutes];      I also would suggest you find a chiropractor who uses pelvic blocks and who has tables where the belly drops away.  This way you can lay face down and also the DC can place pelvic blocks under your hips/pelvis to take pressure off the pubic joint (and you can lay there for a while).    If all is okay, a little ice application a few times in a day should help this quite down in a day or two.     I hope this was helpful.

Dr. G"

p.s. 1) my web site has "How To" instructions on how to apply ice.
p.s. 2)  A "Chiropractic" adjustment is done by a chiropractor.  You had an "Osteopathic" adjustment.   'Just a minor sticking point here.   Joint manipulation is joint manipulation, no matter who does it.   You must consider who has the most training in it and who gets the most experience in it.   That would be DC's, not DO's.   I had an obstetrics course once.   Would you like me to do your next exam??  (kidding)