What Can Ease Sciatic Nerve Pain During Pregnancy?
Sciatica pain in pregnancy is due to compression on the sciatic nerve. For pregnant women, this can be caused by the pressure of the gravid uterus, and in advanced pregnancy, by the baby pressing on the sciatic nerve.
I once had a gynaecology patient who had severe sciatic pain and a large fibroid uterus filling her pelvis. I cured her sciatica by doing a hysterectomy. If the sciatica pain is due to pregnancy changes then it is likely to be self-limiting and end once the baby is delivered. But for the same reason, there is a chance that the sciatic nerve pain could get worse as the pregnancy progresses.
A pre-pregnancy back problem can be exacerbated in pregnancy and may predispose to pregnancy sciatic nerve pain in pregnancy. So if this is a back issue then this should be assessed and appropriate measures taken before embarking on pregnancy. Also, if overweight, then weight loss pre-pregnancy can help relieve sciatic nerve pain or ease sciatica symptoms.
What can you do to help with Sciatic Nerve Pain?
Some practical ways to help with common sciatica symptoms can be:
- Care with posture, lifting & bending
- Avoiding high heel shoes
- Appropriate back mobility and muscle strengthening exercises (usually with an appropriately qualified personal trainer)
- Remedial massage
- Chiropractor
- Osteopath
- Physiotherapist
- Acupuncture
- Wheat packs heated (but not too hot so as to cause a burn)
- Try to keep oral analgesics to a minimum, as it is likely that the problem will persist while pregnant.
If you are feeling sciatica symptoms, get in contact with me today and we can discuss ways to relieve sciatica pain.
