Sciatica During Pregnancy: Is Your Baby Getting on Your Nerve?

Sciatica During Pregnancy: Is Your Baby Getting on Your Nerve?

Is your baby getting on your nerve?  Let me clarify: Are you pregnant and having sciatic nerve pain?  If you answer yes, know you’re not alone.  Most women experience sciatica during pregnancy experience it in the third trimester. The good news is that physical therapy can help relieve your symptoms.

Here’s a brief description for those of you who have no idea what sciatica is: Sciatica is pain radiating along the sciatic nerve. This nerve begins at the lower part of the spine, travels through the buttock region, and down each leg. It can be intermittent or constant depending on how much pressure is on the nerve or how irritated the nerve is.

The following techniques can help relieve the pressure from your sciatic nerve. Two positions that are particularly helpful are an ‘all four’ position and ‘side lying’ position.  Supine activities or lying flat on your back during your third trimester is like suffocation city!  Get into which ever position is comfortable for you and just breathe.  These positions help to relieve pressure on the sciatic nerve by decompressing the spine.  The key to decompressing the spine in these positions is flexing your spine (rounding your back).  By flexing your spine you open up or create space between the facet joints along the spine, especially on the lumbar spine.  As your belly grows out front, your body adjusts by leaning back in order to keep your center of gravity.  This leaning back or extension of the spine causes the extra compression on the nerves.  Therefore, getting in a position to decrease that lumbar compression will in turn decrease your pain.  If these positional changes do not help, you may need the assistance of a physical therapist to help you resolve your issues.  A physical therapy prescription from your obstetrician is all you need for this.

Written by:  Dina Johnson, PTA