Sciatica During Pregnancy

From versionweekly.com

The symptoms of sciatica can be characterized by leg pain, tingling and numbness along the sciatic nerve. The sciatic nerve is one of the thickest and longest nerves in the leg. Any compression or irritation of the nerve, either in the back or the pelvic region, can cause the nerve to show certain symptoms of sciatica. According to a report published in Clinical Rheumatology in 2010, almost 20-40 per cent of people have sciatica symptoms at some point in their life, making the issue more prevalent.

Causes Of Sciatica

• The sciatic nerve is such that it passes through many tunnel-like structures which is surrounded by bones, ligaments, and muscles. So any disturbances in its normal structure can cause irritation of the nerve and the pain starts
• During pregnancy, the lower abdomen muscles like the transverse abdomen, rectus abdomen, and transverse oblique muscles become weak as these muscles are stabilizers of the lower back
• When these abdominal muscles get weak, the entire lower back undergoes compressive loading which causes irritation of the sciatic nerve
• The other cause of this is excessive lumbar hyperlordosis (excessive arched lower back). which also causes the ‘tunnels’ to close further resulting in leg pain.

Dealing With Sciatica

Pregnant women should avoid bending forward. not because it can risk the baby (as the baby is protected in amniotic fluid) but it can create a tremendous load on the lower spine, causing low back pain and sciatica symptoms. Some of the other reasons why prospective mothers are asked not to indulge in any activity is because this causes deconditioning of the muscles and can have many further complications other than sciatica and back pain, like knee pain, foot pain, and fatigue.

Nevertheless, it is very important to practice some basic and mild exercises during pregnancy. but constant consultation is important with the doctor and physiotherapist who is an expert in dealing with pregnancy and related complications.

The best way to get rid of sciatica during pregnancy is hot water fomentation and to try out mild forms of exercises like stretching and strengthening. It has been proven that those who adapt to some sort of exercise schedule during their pregnancy period are less likely to develop complications. Also, there are chances of getting back to their pre-pregnancy state compared to those who are inactive.

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