How do you fix pregnancy-related sciatica?

[NicoleM]

I can't walk. It started last night. I have tried applying heat, stretching, Tylenol, and lying on the side that doesn't hurt. Nothing has helped so far. Anybody have any other ideas? The kid's not due until April, and it would be nice if I could walk before then.

[Lars39]

1. Ouch!

Have you tried ice packs? Or an OTC topical analgesic or something like Ben-gay? Sorry you're miserable. :hug:

[booksenkatz]

2. The only thing that helped me a *little*

was buying one of those special pillows designed to go between your knees as you sleep (on your left side of course). Got it at the drugstore. It made a big difference, but nothing helped entirely... good luck, I've been there, it's not fun!!

[Bunny]

3. I've been there too, especially with my second one.

I don't have any suggestions other than what you've tried. I guess the only thing I can add is that the pain did go away after a couple of days. It recurred several times, but it always went away. Keep up with the tylenol and warm moist heat. I feel your pain :hug:

[librechik]

4. I like those Homedic Percussion massagers--and start wearing

abdominal support, like an ace bandage, as long as it makes you comfortable.

I had it , it's awful. You poor thing! Get a lot of rest with your legs elevated. You deserve it.

There's not much else you can do except try to "teach " the body to accept the pressure on the lower spine from carrying extra weight in the abdomen. Have you got a Pilates Ball? They're wonderful for allowing the back to stretch with support, and distributing the abdominal pounds more evenly along the vertebra.

Sit on the floor, relax the upper body, and slowly effectively stretch your fingers toward your toes. Slowly arch back up and reach carefully toward the ceiling. Lean away from the bad hip for a few seconds, still reaching and stretching up. Visualize the affected area as a dark area that is becoming lighter and lighter as the pain eases. Slowly go back toward the toes and repeat a few times.

Do the same stretch, but standing up, and stretch the toe of the affect body awy from the fingers reaching to the ceiling, a diagonal stretch, being very conscsious of the muscles around the affected area. Move very slowly and feel the fascia buried deep near the bones relax and stretch. You might have a partner stand behind you and add support and massage to the lower back as you stretch. (This can be fun!)

Another good exercise to try is to sit in a chair, (can also be done standing) and very slowly, very consciously suck the abdominal muscles in until you can feel your back muscles working. It's like a "girdle" of muscle around your waist. Do this 5- 10 times occasionally during the day to strengthen and "un-knot" your muscle tissues.

Ask your doctor about an anti-inflammatory that's stong but safe for the baby. IMO drugs help! :smoke: but I can't recommend it! ;-)

[junker]

5. ayurvedic/yoga approach to sciatica

this involves some positioning, and a nice liedown, but initially it will require some help.

1) get a solid, clean place on floor to lie down with plenty of room around you, say a couple of feet.
2) get someone to help you
3) get a thin(ish) blanket to lie on and one to cover you but not to make you hot, merely to keep in body heat, so not over warm, usually a light blanket or throw will do
4) get a stack of books, bigish books, like maybe some thick magazines
5) lie down on blanket
6) get the assistant to put some magazines/books under the side of the pelvic girdle that hurts, say about an inch to start. Make sure the butt cheek is firmly on the books so no small paperbacks, something that will provide good support
7) lie there a minute, if no feeling of energy or relief of pain, then try a few more books. say about one half inch to inch at a time.
Depending on the depth/position of the pinch causing the sciatica, you may need up to 3 or 5 inches which of course tends to roll you over toward the other side, but the idea is to lie as flat as possible on the floor even though one butt cheek is up a few inches. The goal is a 'resettling' of the lower vertebrae and the pelvic girdle.

8) when you have found the correct/relieving position, get covered with a blanket and lie there breathing easily for about 10-30 minutes. Then easily, with help, get the books out from under you.
9) then lie there a few more minutes allowing the muscles to firm up after the stretch - THIS IS IMPORTANT STEP DO NOT SKIP
10) then get up with help.

Eh?

AND REMEMBER
DONT DO THIS IF IT HURTS> THE FIRST RULE IS NiYama which is - DO NO HARM.....

got it?

as the sciatica gets better the number of books required and the number of treatments will decrease.

[pansypoo53219]

6. chiropractor

mine works on nuns. i'll ask her the next time i have an appointment, but there are some positions where it would be possible i think.

i had sciattica, not pregancy related. it took a while, but i don't have it.

[populistmom]

10. Yes!

I went to one during the last trimester of my last pregnancy and even though I ended up gaining the most weight (I was huge really!), I didn't hurt at all except for the pubic symphasis pain, but that was his huge head and it was hard to avoid. Call around though and get someone who is comfortable with pregnant women as not all are.

[radwriter0555]

7. 800 mgs of ibuprofin combined with 400 mgs of tylenol and a good

chiropractor who uses the Activator method instead of the twisty pully method.

Use the cocktail twice a day.

[populistmom]

14. ibuprofin in pregnancy is a no-no

Especially in the last trimester. It can lead to possible hemorrage in labor or because it's an anti-prostiglandin (one of the hormones that helps initiate labor), it can halt labor when you are due.

Just a little tidbit there.

[NicoleM]

8. Thanks for the tips, everybody.

I called my doctor. She said it shouldn't be this bad and I need to go in. So hopefully that means drugs. :)

[Red State Rebel]

17. I had the same prob.. Dr. had me get a maternity girdle....

It helped pull the weight up and off of the nerve..good luck!

[midnight armadillo]

9. Swim

radwriter0555 says to use ibuprofen. You shouldn't take ibuprofen while pregnant.

Swimming is therapeutic for sciatic nerve pain. It's worked for me when I got sciatic nerve trouble for a few months after overdoing it while weightlifting.

[cid]

11. The only thing that helped me was ..this is gonna sound dumb..

but my doc told me to do it, i put the bed against the wall and laid down with my butt and legs going up the wall. Id do that for a half hour or so til the pain went away..

[Stephanie]

18. This works

I laid on my back on the floor with my knees up and my calves resting on the couch or the seat of a chair. You want to take the pressure off your spine, get a little space between the vertabrae. Do this for an entire evening if you can. And sleep with a pillow under your knees. Rest is the cure.

[Ilsa]

12. Get thee to a chirpractor with pregnancy experience!

I've even heard where chropractors can do a manuever which helps the baby turn when you're close to your due date!

Hope it gets better.

[ScreamingMeemie]

13. Pillows, pillows, pillows...and my husband using a tennis ball for

counter pressure. Good luck poor baby. Hope you are feeling better soon!

Hugs,Laura

[havocmom]

15. Nicole, can you get up and down off the floor?

Chiropractor taught me a good one. Lie down on floor in a doorway.
Keeping left leg on floor, right leg up against the right side of the door frame. Just for a few seconds then more time each time. Then scoot over to the other side of the door frame and put left leg up along door frame and right leg on floor.

If you can get up and down off floor, ask a preg experienced chiro about this one. I have a messed up lower spine and this is about the only thing that helps sometimes.

Good luck and let us know how you are doing. Maybe when the baby shifts a bit, the pressure will let up on that @)#@*$@_!! nerve.

[diamondsoul]

16. I second the suggestion to

find a pool nearby and go swimming. Floating in a pool may help alleviate the pinching because the weight is taken off the spine and distributed across the surface of the water. You can do this at home if you have one of those huge tubs and it might work better with warm water- just don't mess with a hot-tub! Thise are breeding grounds for infections during pregnancy.