You may never have had sciatica before, and might have thought you were safe from the pain. “Sciatica is for others!”… Are you sure?
Let’s see why pregnancy predisposes you to this kind of episode and how sciatica appears in pregnant women.
I caught sciatica during my pregnancy!
Now, it has been a few days since you have started to experience occasional discomfort in the lower back, pelvis, or directly in the buttock.
Patients often describe an electrical pain that starts in the buttock and can descend to the back of the thigh, and sometimes to the knee, shin and even all the way down to the foot!
Why can sciatica pain appear so far from where it originated?
The sciatic nerve, the piriformis muscle and pregnancy
The sciatic nerve is the largest nerve in our body! It is over a centimeter wide… It starts from the bottom of the lumbar spine and the sacrum, then descends into the pelvis along with the piriformis muscle (in some people goes through the muscle). It then divides down to reach the foot.
Sciatica pain in the buttock is often the result of a contracture of a small muscle called the piriformis. This muscle will irritate and/or compress the sciatic nerve, and cause pain down the path of the nerve.
Why does this muscle twitches to the point of causing pain?
Because your body is no longer the same, it changes throughout the pregnancy and your posture will change as well… your growing belly will pull on the lumbar spine and the center of gravity changes… your muscles, ligaments and joints are subject to new and different stresses and the first defensive reaction of the muscle is to tense up.
While this tension in the piriformis is often responsible for your sciatica during pregnancy, other causes of sciatica exist, such as herniated disc. Your osteopath will perform tests to rule out other causes.
What are some good tips to follow which help to deal with sciatica during pregnancy?
The first thing to do?
- Move, walk, don’t collapse in your bed or on the sofa thinking the pain will go on its own.
- Hydrate properly; your body particularly needs it.
- Do gentle stretches as long as it is comfortable and not provoking any pain. Your osteopath will be able to advise you on appropriate stretches.
- A hot water bottle on the buttock or a hot bath can calm your episode of sciatica from time to time.
- Do not wait to seek help to your osteopath.
Why an osteopath to treat your sciatica?
The pain starts to get seriously annoying; I call the osteopath to make an appointment. How will the osteopath remove your pain?
The practitioner will first perform specific clinical tests to understand the origin of the problem. The osteopath will then look for areas of tension, postural imbalances, and use gentle hands on techniques for you and your baby.
The work on the piriformis will be aimed to relax and reduce the tonicity of the muscle which can feel unpleasant, but patients often see real benefits soon after.