PURPOSE: to study the effects of physiotherapeutic techniques applied by the Multidisciplinary Program of Preparation for the Childbirth and Maternity on musculoskeletal discomforts during pregnancy. METHODS: prospective cohort study, with 71 low-risk nulliparous women, distributed according to participation (study: n=38) or not (control; n=33). The Multidisciplinary Program of Preparation for Childbirh and Maternity had 10 meetings (18th to 38th week), with educational, physiotherapeutic, and interaction activities. Occurrence, characteristics, and evolution of musculoskeletal discomforts were compared by means of a specific questionnaire, both at the beginning and at the end of the program. The average of results of the initial assessment was compared through analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by the F test. For the study between proportions in the beginning and at the end of the program the c² was used. The statistical significance was determined at 5% of limit (p<0.05). RESULTS: at the beginning of the program, 63.6% of the pregnant women of the control group and 84.2% of the study group reported musculoskeletal symptoms (p=0.05), characterized by back and posterior pelvic pain. In the control group, light intensity (18.2%) and serious intensity pain (18.4) were predominant, while in the study group, the serious was 36.8%, and the isolated or associated was 31.6%. At the end, the control group showed symptoms of serious intensity (60.6%), with daily frequency (42.4%) and length of more than 3 h (69.7%; p<0.05). The study group reported light intensity (57.9%) and bimonthly frequency (50.0%) with a maximum length of one hour (55.3%) (p<0.05). Symptom evolution was also differentiated and there were worsening in 63.6% of pregnant women of the control group and improvement in 65.8% of participants of the program (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: the physiotherapeutic techniques of the Multidisciplinary Program of Preparation for Childbirth and Maternity were related to a decrease in intensity, frequency and length and to a better evolution of musculoskeletal discomforts during pregnancy.
Normal pregnancy; Musculoskeletal discomforts; Maternity preparation program
