Health & Fitness Blog

Sciatic Pregnancy – what can you actually do to help yourself when your sciatic nerve gives you trouble during a time in your life that should be enjoyable and exciting? Pregnancy sciatica is not a condition in itself, but rather the symptoms of a combination of underlying causes, which manifest themselves when the sciatic nerve is being irritated. The sciatic nerve runs from the lower end of your spine, through your buttocks and thighs all the way to your feet. It gets inflamed when it receives too much pressure, be that from a herniated disk or a clenched muscle (as in piriformis syndrome) or a different underlying cause. The Symptoms range from a numb, tingly or burning sensation in your lower back, over achy and dull pain to shooting pain down your leg.

Now since the baby’s location is very close to where the nerve runs through and may put pressure on the nerve or on tissue surrounding the nerve, it is not surprising that a previously existing sciatica problem may dramatically worsen during pregnancy; or that the extra weight around the middle along with the loosening of tendons and ligaments in preparation for birth may make way for an injury to a disk, which then in turn puts pressure on the nerve. Women who are pregnant are more likely to experience disc injury.

Sciatic pregnancy pain often disappears by itself, but in some cases that may take over six weeks. Some patients have found it helpful to schedule regular visits with their physical therapist, to get some relief from their sciatica symptoms. Manual therapy often helps relieve the pressure and discomfort you might experience from the back pain during pregnancy.

Your physical therapist might also be a good person to talk to in order to find you some suitable sciatic pregnancy exercises, that would be beneficial in your pain management and would also strengthen your back and abdominal muscles and the muscles of the pelvic floor. If these muscle groups are in good condition you may experience less difficulty during the birthing process and even during recuperation afterwards.

When relying on chiropractic care or manual therapy for the relief of your sciatic pregnancy pain, make sure that they are experienced in working with prenatal patients.

Massage therapy has been found helpful by many women to reduce inflammation and related symptoms caused by sciatica. Muscle tension and tightness can be greatly relieved through massages. When certain muscle groups tighten too much (like the piriformis muscle in your buttocks) they are likely to contribute to your sciatica condition. Circulation is increased by massages and the healing process speeds up considerably by the reduced tension and inflammation.

Should you develop pregnancy sciatica make sure you’ll consult your doctor or physical therapist about what kinds of treatments are available to you, especially in your condition, since not every treatment for sciatica is for every cause of it and especially during pregnancy the choice of therapy needs to be made carefully with the help of knowledgeable professionals. Cold/Hot treatment may be applied, as may bed rest for some days, until the acute pain simmers down. Changes in posture may be greatly beneficial to alleviate pain and pressure on your discs since one of the main underlying causes of sciatica is poor posture.

Want to find out more about sciatic pregnancy, then visit Christina Meier’s site on how to get the best advice on sciatic pregnancy for your needs.