Sciatica Relief In Pregnancy
18 Oct 2011 Leave a Comment
in Exercise, Joyful Pregnancy Resource Guide, Pregnancy Symptoms, Sciatica Tags: free TENS unit, Pain, Pregnancy, Sciatic nerve, sciatica, treat, treatment
Sciatica, or pain going from the buttocks that radiates down the leg, is a very common symptom in pregnancy. It is caused by many factors causing nerve irritation including shifting of the pelvis, sacrum and lumbar spine, tight gluteal muscles, hormones causing the ligaments of the pelvis to be too lax or improper position of the baby in the uterus. This can be incredibly painful and limit almost all your activities from walking, sitting, standing, anything! I wanted to share some tips that I used personally and with my patients to help them alleviate their pain.
First, get adjusted. Aligning the pelvis and uterus are very important to taking the stress off the nerves and ligaments. This was always my #1 stop! Getting adjusted will immediately take all interference and irritation off of the sciatic nerve and surrounding muscles so you can walk again.
Secondly, try a TENS unit. A TENS unit is a small machine that is hand held, battery powered and has four sticky pads you place over where you are hurting (never over your belly!). Place the four pads over your back and pelvis, wherever the pain is 
originating from, and turn on the unit. You can run the wires through your pants and clip the unit on to your pants or pocket so you can walk around without pain. I wear the unit for no more than an hour at a time. I keep it on me during work, classes, grocery shopping, slow walks in the park, and anywhere that I might need it! And it is small enough to carry in your purse for emergencies. The unit basically blocks the signal of pain from the nerves to the spinal cord. This unit is also great for back labor and can help eliminate the majority of back labor pain! To get a unit from me free through your insurance please email me at drdibarto@healinghandshealinglives.com for more information!
Third, try some yoga stretching. My favorite is the pigeon pose. It can be painful at first, especially on the side you are 
experiencing symptoms but as you practice every day you will notice your hips opening up more and decreasing the pain. You can either keep your chest upright or lean gently over in front of you for a deeper stretch. Check out some free youtube videos for prenatal yoga. This one is my favorite!
Lastly, I would try to avoid stretching your hamstrings. Especially if you are sitting all day, your hamstrings are overstretched and are painful and sore because they are not being strengthened. Focus on strengthening your hamstrings by walking and get a prenatal massage to help work out any trigger points. Sometimes, stretching the hamstrings will make them contract more to reach a normal state and cause further inflammation of the sciatic nerve.
Remember, that getting one adjustment or massage will not ‘cure’ your sciatica, especially in pregnancy. As your hormones shift and make your ligaments and joints very loose you will continue to have issues on and off. The best prevention is exercise by walking and yoga, getting adjusted and massaged, and being consistent with your treatment to prevent future episodes as much as possible.
