Strengths
This is the first formal investigation into a pain condition experienced by the majority of pregnant people - it is an introduction, rather than a conclusion to the problem. We have clearly demonstrated the high frequency of unexplained abdominal pain and of sufferers being told about RLP by medical carers. This indicates a gap in care that demands further attention.
To our knowledge, this is also the first attempt to propose an anatomically rational alternative explanation for ‘Round Ligament Pain’. The value of PRAWN lies not in the semantics of naming the correctly affected nerve, but rather in its therapeutic potential. In the non-pregnant community, AWP can be treated with TAP blocks, trigger point injections with steroid, chemical neurolysis and surgical neurectomies (20). The opportunities for these therapies to be extended to pregnant patients abound.