Acceptability and effectiveness of multi-media delivery of an exercise programme among postpartum women with lumbo pelvic pain in Taiwan

INTERVENTION: The intervention comprises of an exercise programme, designed to strengthen core abdominal and global muscles, recommended for postnatal women in Taiwan delivered through digital (DVD or Internet) or print (leaflet) media. The exercise program is designed to strengthen core abdominal and global muscles through abdominal muscle exercises, breathing exercises, head and neck exercises and leg exercises. The program consist of eight components intended to perform at various time points following birth. Women were instructed to perform the exercises twice a day for 30 minutes with outcomes measured at baseline, six weeks and four months follow‐up. Women are randomly assigned into two intervention groups (DVD and Internet) and a control group (leaflet). Women in the DVD‐based group received the exercise program in a DVD along with narrations and demonstrations of the programme. The content of the DVD was posted on YouTube and women in the Internet group were provided with instructions on locating the video link on YouTube. Women in the control group received standard postnatal care which included the customary information given by their nurses along with the leaflet. All the participant women receive the same verbal instructions from the research midwife. CONDITION: Lumbo pelvic pain (LPP) ; Signs and Symptoms ; Abdominal and pelvic pain PRIMARY OUTCOME: LPP measured using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) at 3 days, 6 weeks and 4 months postpartum SECONDARY OUTCOME: 1. Physical endurance measured using the Disability Rating Index (DRI); 2. Changes in core muscles, determined by physical examinations including measurements of waist circumference, body weight, and diastasis recti performed by a trained research midwife; 3. Uptake; 4. Adherence; 5. Completion rate of exercise; ; Uptake, adherence and completion rate of exercise is using the self‐record sheet. A self‐record sheet is given to all the participants to record daily exercise frequency, duration and method of exercise. The record sheet also provided space to record reasons if not the exercise components were not followed as instructed. ; ; All measured 3 days, 6 weeks and 4 months postpartum ; INCLUSION CRITERIA: 1. Pregnant women who had LPP in the region of the lower back and/or anterior and/or posterior region of the pelvis and pain intensity on visual analogue scale (VAS) via self‐report point on or over 30mm in the past week 2. Age > 18 years 3. Primipara and single‐foetal pregnancy 4. No history of LPP before pregnancy 5. No history of perinatal complications for mother and baby 6. Planned vaginal delivery 7. Willing to provide informed consent for participation 8. Able to complete written forms in Mandarin