i suffered from mild sciatica the last few weeks of my first two pregnancies... however, this is SO different. i have MONTHS left to go... and i cant even walk because of the pain in my lower back. it hurts all the way down to my foot. i cant walk; my leg gives out on me. i cant keep taking tylenol at the rate im going... and my next appointment with my doc is october 1st. any suggestions? im desperate for relief!!
THANKS LADIES! first of all, i'm way too chicken to go to a chiropractor, but with this many recommendations, i would definately look into it... the pain is completely gone, over a week later... i was in the shower and felt this POP!! in my back... and felt baby, literally, drift up a bit. the pressure and the pain was gone immediately! sooo amazing... im actually GLAD that im getting kicked in the ribs, bc baby is off my pelvis! also, i was concerned with the number of moms who told me not to take tylenol.... tylenol is a perfectly safe, effective way to manage pain when youre pregnant... you can do more damage to your body and put too much stress on the baby without it, so PLEASE STOP TELLING PEOPLE NOT TO TAKE TYLENOL!! thats reckless. anyway, feeling much better, THANKS AGAIN MAMAS!!
I'm so sorry, I had sciatica with all 3 of my pregnancies and the last one was horrible. I finally found 2 things that if I did every day I could walk without pain. If I missed even 1 day I was in more pain. 1- I exercised on an elliptical, and 2 -I did the Bradley hip exercises where you're on hands and knees and go between the yoga poses of cat and dog.
Best of luck!
I know nothing (from personal experience) about sciatica, but have heard that it is when the baby is laying low and pushing against the spinal cord and causing pain? maybe? That is what I am thinking it is! Anyway...no matter what it is, if you are in pain, you should call the OB. You can call them in between visits ANYTIME! If they aren't open (since its Sunday) you can even call the on call OB. Mine had a number at the hospital to call and then the hospital would page them and they would call back asap. If you are in pain, you can't go for 3 weeks w/out seeing someone! CALL THEM! That is their job! And good luck!
Find a good chiropractor. They are worth their weight in gold Nd help so much with the mobility in pregnancy. Then if you can also find a lmt that specializes in prenatal massage if you don't have money do you have something you could trade even childcare etc. I made soap and cloth diapers for 10 weeks of massages during my last pregnancy
Hi R., I had it really bad too with my son..same deal, couldn't walk, (or walked like a grandma!), my leg gave out randomly, etc. For temporary relief, try down dog yoga pose with toes turned inward and hold for as long as you can. I ended up seeing a chiropractor which helped a lot. My sciatica was actually a result of SI joint inflammation (where the hip bone connects to the back bone) which put my pelvis out of alignment and pressed on a swollen sciatic nerve. I was told this is pretty common in pregnancies, esp. 2nd, 3d, 4th, etc. (my son was my 2nd). Once the SI joint was realigned by the chiro, it took the pressure off the sciatic and the pain substantially subsided (although didn't completely go away until I had my son). So that's the best advice i can offer. Some other things that helped- try sitting and rolling your hips around on a big yoga/pilates ball (I used one for my desk chair at the office) and also swimming a couple nights a week (or as much as possible) to take the weight off your feet/hips. Also try to get a good massage if you can swing it. Good luck- i know it's SO painful, mine started at about 30 weeks and it was sometimes too much to bear. But the chiro really helped, as did all of these other stop-gap measures until Tyson was born.
Acupuncture might provide some relief. No drugs, no harm to the fetus. Good luck, it is miserable, I remember!
Hi R.,
I suffered from sciatica after delivery due to breaking my tailbone in delivery. The best I can say is try some heat and some stretches the best you can. Since you're pregnant you can put your foot on a chair or stair and try to stretch it out that way.
R.
I'm sorry to hear what you're experiencing. I would ask for a Physical Therapy consult when I see your doctor. In fact, you may ask if he or she could give you a referral before your appointment with him because you're hurting so bad.
I would also suggest getting a body pillow to relieve pressure off your hips and back when you're sleeping. I had really bad back pain during my last months of pregnancy and even had a nerve compression that prevented me from walking for a month after my delivery. I had to use a walker.
I have a friend who specializes in women's health PT but she is in Columbia, MD. Message me if you want her info. But here's a link to find women's health PTs near your area.
http://www.womenshealthapta.org/plp/locator/index.cfm?Sec...
A book I found that was helpful:
How to Raise Children Without Breaking Your Back by Alex Pirie and Hollis Herman MS., PT, OCS
Hi R.,
Ask around and find a good chiropractor fast!! They will be able to help you and you should get some immediate relief without drugs.
Good luck, S.
Hi R.- sorry to hear you are in so much pain. i am a physical therapist assistant and have 2 children of my own so i feel you pain from all aspects! i work in an aquatic facility and we treat many pregnant women in a warm pool enviroment. It takes the pressure off the low back while strengthening your core muscles to stabilize your joints. You should look into a PT clinic in your area or even a pool to utilize for the remainder of your pregnancy. My pregnancies went well and I attribute it to the pools! Hope this helps, good luck and don't forget to discuss this with your doctor at your next appointment.
Go to a chiropractor! I can't recommend it enough. My first pregnancy was filled with sciatica problems and my OB told me to do some stretches, which did nothing. I couldn't even stand up without crying! After delivery it didn't go away, and a friend recommended her chiro. After one visit, the pain went away by 75%, after three visits, the pain I had for months and months was gone entirely. I was so angry at my OB for not suggesting a chiro and just letting me suffer in pain that I changed doctors for baby #2. When you are looking for a chiro (I can't recommend one in Richmond, only Northern VA), just make sure they know you're pregnant and that they can work on a pregnant woman. There are prenatal chiros with some sort of special training (that goes beyond just fixing sciatica), but all you need is a good one who is comfortable working with a pregnant patient. Good luck!
R. I'm unsure what's causing your problem. But if under the care of a Sports Medicine Physical Therapist or Chiropractor, ask if strengthening the "Transversus" Muscles will help. They are small muscles that wrap around your mid section/hips like a girdle. You can usually decrease pain (it takes a little time with consistency - a few weeks to build) by doing these and they are SIMPLE! One involves setting your pelvic floor muscles before doing a simple hip tilt. Setting your floor muscles are the "keegle" that you do during pregnancy anyway. These have changed my life. I had chronic lumbar pain for 20 years until my PT taught me these. ALSO - your inclination is to lay down when it hurts. But it only makes you weaker. I strongly suggest you try to get into a pool class to keep moving while you are strengthening those muscles. Good luck - and email me if you have questions. Blessings, S.
Get yourself a new tennis ball and lay on the floor on your back. Place the tennis ball under you where it hurts (start around your butt) and roll it using your own wieght to move it. It will hurt while you are doing it but will feel better after. Make sure you drink plenty of water to flush out the toxins and lactic acid that gets released. Good luck.
I can't help with pain relief, although I have had the pain and it's awful. But getting off my feet and stretching helped.
However, if you are taking Tylenol all the time, you need to call and be seen by your doctor. Call the nurse, tell them you are miserable, and say yo NEED to come in. Also, if you are working outside the home, it might be time to take a week of disability and get off your feet. And ask for help with your little ones. They might offer some help or suggest a better safer medication. I have also heard that yoga and chiropractry help.
my doctor suggested a maternity belt to lift my belly off the parts where it was pressing. I personally couldn't stand the belt but I know others who were helped tremendously by it. I also had special maternity pillows that wedged between by knees and under my back to help keep the pressure off. Good luck. I know how painful it is.
Since you are past the first trimester, you can go see a chiropractor and get massage. Sometimes insurance will cover massage if the chiro orders it. That is what happens in my office. A lot of insurances will cover many visits or at least some of the cost. Massage can really relieve sciatica pain...I have a lot of clients that come to me with sciatica and they get a lot of relief from the massage and adjustments. Much better than taking OTC meds. Hope you feel better!
Rachael,
I'm a birth doula and massage therapist who specializes in pregnant women. Chiropractic care is the best way to address your sciatic issue. As well as getting to the source of the problem. Massage would also be especially helpful in working with the muscles in your pelvis and back to support the structural changes that are taking place.
I have plenty of chiropractic referals if you contact me directly.
Cat/cow yoga poses and hands and knees to also shift your baby's position.
You can use ice to reduce the inflammation.
Feel free to contact me if you want the referal in your area.
L. M.
Birthbliss
HypnoBirthing childbirth education classes and birth doula services for mom and families in the MD, DC and Northern VA areas
see a chiropractor! I hope you feel better.
Hi R.. Im a mom of three and an RN. Stay off your feet as much as possible. Lots of ice and heat, alternate between the two at least 4x/day. If the ice works better, stick to that 4x daily. If the heat works better, do it 4x daily. It is an unfortunate side effect of the pregnancy. Sorry. You can also go to a chiropracter. They can do amazing things to relieve pain caused by pressure on the spinal cord. They will also increase circulation to the baby/placenta/uterus which will naturally be healthier for you and your baby. The manipulations will also make your labor and delivery more comfortable and increase oxygen to the baby. Hang in there!
That's awful!!! I had problems when I was pregnant, though not as bad as yours. I googled sciatica stretches and found a bunch to do. I checked with my doctor and she said that all were fine for baby. I did them several times a day and they definitely helped, A LOT!!! The cat stretch (get down on all fours and arch your back up and down while tightening your stomach muscles) felt the best. The hardest part of the stretches was getting back up off the floor with my big belly! Good luck. I hope you feel some relief soon!
I'm also pregnant and suffer from sciatic pain off and on. A good yoga instructor can show you some stretches to get the baby to move off that nerve as well as stretch that area. I also see a massage therapist who is able to help. I've never seen a chiropractor, but met one who had also showed me one of the same stretches that my yoga instructor did.
I'd recommend that you call and talk to your OB and get his/her input and referral. If you go to yoga or see one of these professionals, ask for their help.
Good luck!
stop taking tylenol!! no studies have been done on the safety of it while pregnant !!all the studies that were done on the maximum allowable dosage was done on men, not women and certainly not pregnant women. have you had a sonagram yet? if you are carrying low, the pregnancy can put pressure on nerve bundles leading to your feet. instead of tylenol, may i suggest you try this..take your left hand and pinch your left ear lobe, not hard just apply a little pressure, pinching the left ear lobe releases endorphins into your system, which in turn dials down the pain receptors in the brain, perfectly harmless, basic acupressure . let me know
how you are doing with this because i have some other ideas
that might help... without drugs
K. H.
I recommend you go to a chiropractor who is trained in prenatal chiropractic. I had sciatica starting during the 2nd trimester, and got considerable relief from brief adjustments by the chiropractor followed by a short prenatal massage, performed by someone at the chiropractic center. It really helped me make it through, and I only went once a week. I see you live in Richmond. Not sure what is available there, but you might start googling for prenatal massage or prenatal chiropractic and see what comes up.
