Sciatica is a widespread medical condition. It is popularly known as lower back pain and can happen to people of almost any age group. Sciatica is commonly found amongst expecting mothers and is a significant cause of discomfort during pregnancy. It is caused by irritation of the sciatic nerve beginning in the lower spine and ending in the thigh.
Additionally, this may result in pain in the buttocks and hip travelling to the thigh. The magnitude of pain varies from patient to patient. It can be mild or severe and often needs medical attention. However, in case it is quite mild, expecting mothers can adopt some measures to alleviate the pain without actually visiting a doctor. Here are a few such measures –
1. A relaxing massage – A massage, in general, is a very relaxing experience. The relaxing effect of a massage touches a whole new level during pregnancy. A gentle massage is a great way to catch some quick relief from excruciating lower back pain during pregnancy. Massage isn’t only relaxing, but also therapeutic for expecting mothers suffering from sciatica.Regular deep tissue massages are recommended for all the expecting mothers.
2. Acupuncture – Acupuncture is one of the oldest and most popular pain relieving methods. This approach to treatment is rooted deep in traditional Chinese medicine and is known all over the world. The technique involves the insertion of tiny needles into the patient’s body and may come across as something excruciating.
Studies suggest that acupuncture treatment may be more effective at relieving sciatica pain as compared to treatment with NSAIDs like ibuprofen. Moreover, NSAIDs are not all recommended for pregnant ladies. Acupuncture helps decrease pain significantly and increases nerve cum muscle relaxation. Thus, it is one of the best ways to deal with pregnancy sciatica pain since long.
3. Physiotherapy – Physiotherapy has a lot of aspects ranging from osteopathy to exercise therapy along with a lot of relaxing methods in between. Physiotherapy helps in alleviating lower back pain by decreasing inflammation. It also improves blood flow and helps in realigning the joints and muscles. Expecting mothers can consult a certified physiotherapist to get a head start. Moreover, the mother doesn’t need to visit the physiotherapist every time.
She can practice at home or over video calling sessions during the later trimesters. However, ensuring that she is performing the movements correctly and safely is essential. The body ligaments of expecting mothers are loose during pregnancy due to the release of a hormone called relaxin. On one hand, where it makes the delivery of the baby easy, it can result in unexpected outcomes in case the mother performs some wrong exercises. Hence, it is vital that everything is done under expert supervision.
4. Proper sleeping posture – Sleeping posture also plays a vital role in deciding the severity of sciatica among expecting mothers. In case the mother feels pain on the right side of her body, she must try lying down on the left side, or vice versa.
A lot of times, it happens that the pain or the discomfort experienced on one side disappears if no additional pressure is applied to the area. Resting the body this way also removes any tension from joints and muscles. Apart from this, the mothers can invest in a body pillow for pregnancy and place it behind their back to get additional relief and comfort.
5. Hot or cold therapy – Hot and cold therapy has also been found extremely useful for reducing inflammation and regulating blood circulation. Ice or cold treatment must be used ice when the pain is quite intense as it will quickly decrease inflammation. When the pain has lessened, hot therapy can be used to numb the area and encourage blood circulation.
6. Yoga – Performing yoga regularly also helps in reducing lower back pain. Not just alleviating the pain, yoga can provide lasting relief from the same. There is no denying the fact that pregnancy limits flexibility; there are still a lot of comfortable yoga postures that mothers can do without any problem or going out of their comfort zone.
7. Magnesium supplements – Diet plays an important role when it comes to having a healthy body. Only exercises can’t help much if the body is not getting enough nutrients and minerals. Magnesium is a mineral vital to the functioning of the body. Although magnesium is found in a lot of common eatables, many of us are deficient in it which results in ailments and medical issues.
Magnesium supplements improve sciatic nerve regeneration and significantly reduce the inflammatory response. Expecting mothers can consume magnesium orally as a supplement or massage it into their legs in oil or lotion. This helps in reducing lower back pain. However, expecting mothers must consult a physician before orally consuming any supplement.
8. General lifestyle changes – Expecting mothers suffering from sciatica should try making some general changes in their lifestyle to alleviate pain. For instance, the mothers must avoid shoes with high heels as they direct the body weight backwards. Instead of high heels, mothers can give a shot to flat shoes or shoes with a small heel. This will keep the body weight centred and won’t worsen the situation any further.
Thus, these were some of the top tips for dealing with sciatica during pregnancy. Pregnancy is a whole new experience for couples. It sure does bring a lot of joy along, but it also has its own set of complications and problems. Pregnancy-related sciatica causes pain in the middle of the mother’s buttocks. We hope that the above tips help expecting mothers and provide them with significant relief.
Apart from the above tips, mothers can resort to techniques like wearing a pregnancy support belt or using a body pillow for pregnancy to get rid of the pain. Rather than entirely depending on medicines, mothers should try these methods to have a safe pregnancy. After all, what’s better than welcoming your little bundle of joy all happy and healthy? Happy parenting!
About The Author
Katy Hill
Katy Hill has worked with great doctors who have experience in dealing with the problems of pregnant ladies. To overcome such issues, she came up with the idea of creating pregnancy body pillows. This Katy Hill`s product, gives comfort to mothers so that they can be comfortable all day and feel all the love and affection in their pregnancy. These entire body pillow for pregnancy that we provide are organic in nature and they support the whole body parts like neck, spine, tummy etc. Facebook
