About 30% of women suffer from sciatica during pregnancy. It is a pain in the lower back that in most cases appears from the second trimester of pregnancy and persists during the third.
Sciatica occurs when the sciatic nerve, the longest and widest nerve in the body, becomes inflamed. It begins in the pelvis, continues along the back of the thighs and branches behind the knees reaching the feet.
What is sciatica?
There are several factors that occur in pregnancy so that the woman suffers from sciatica, an intense and quite annoying pain in the lower back. It is a very characteristic pain. It usually causes pain referred to the leg, as it begins in the lower back and extends through the back of the leg to the foot.
Sometimes it feels like a prick below the waist or in the upper part of the buttock. It can give the feeling of weakness, numbness of the leg or tingling, as if you were asleep.
The sciatic nerve is a nerve especially vulnerable to pressure. That is why the weight overload that occurs during pregnancy causes nerve pain. As the uterus grows, the spinal nerves that feed the sciatic nerve in the lower back compress and irritate.
The hormones are also responsible for appearing sciatica in pregnancy. There are women who begin to suffer even from the first weeks. It is because during pregnancy the woman's body secretes a hormone called relaxin, which helps soften the pubic area and the womb to facilitate the exit of the baby through the birth canal. This distension of the muscles in the area relaxes the ligaments causing pain.
How to fight sciatica in pregnancy
Practice moderate exercise: we have commented thousands of times the benefits of performing moderate physical activities during pregnancy. Practices such as walking, swimming or yoga contribute to strengthening the muscles preventing the relaxation of abdominal muscles and sedentary lifestyle. Both are factors that increase the risk of pain appearing or persisting longer.
Controlling pregnancy weight: excessive weight gain causes greater compression of the sciatic nerve.
Massages and osteopathy: both techniques help relieve pain and tension in the area thanks to relaxation and stretching techniques.
Postural changes: bad postural habits contribute to the pain that appears, so we must take into account some changes to avoid it. For example: avoid sitting for long periods, do not cross your legs when sitting, always bend down bending your knees, keep your back straight and walk upright.
Wear appropriate footwear: it is not good that the shoe is completely flat or has too much heel. The right measure is between 3 and 5 cm.
To sleep you can place a pillow between your legs to relieve pain if you sleep on your side or place a pillow under your legs if you sleep on your back.
When the pain appears, place dry heat in the area several times a day.
We hope these tips are useful for combat sciatica pain in pregnancy, a typical nuisance of the gestation period that usually disappears spontaneously after delivery.
Anyway, if the pain is too intense, we recommend that you consult your doctor who will assess the advisability of prescribing any treatment.
