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Sciatica Pain During Pregnancy:

Natural Ways to Get Over It
When you are expecting a baby, there are tonnes of
ailments that can make it hard to go about your day. Your
body is changing rapidly making it impossible to adapt to
the new situation without getting heartburn, swollen
ankles, and insomnia every once in a while. It's as if this
isn't bad enough per se, some women experience sciatica
pain, which can make even walking a challenge. What are
some medicine-free ways to control this and make
pregnancy more bearable? Let's dig into the matter.

What Is Sciatica and Who Does It Affect?
This is a type of burning pain that
occurs in the back and can travel
from the hips to the feet. It usually
affects one side of the body. The
main culprit is the sciatic nerve.
Being the longest and largest one
in the human physical structure, it
runs from the sacral and lumbar
plexuses to the thighs, through the
buttocks, connecting them to the
spinal cord. Its main function is to
send signals to and from the feet,
lower legs, and thighs, using the
skin and muscles. This explains
why the sciatic pain can span
across multiple parts of the body.
The problem affects people of all
ages, but of course, some are more
impacted than others. That being
said, the older you get, the greater
the likelihood of getting the
symptoms. In general, the
intervertebral disc begins to
degenerate and lose resilience
around the age of 30, which means
if you are older than that, you are
already running some risk. It is
important to acknowledge that
sports activities and work increase
the chances of injury. Hence, the
people that are most vulnerable to
this kind of pain are those between
30 and 50.
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Having a sedentary lifestyle might
add to the problem too. Lack of
physical activity, a couch-potato
behaviour, lots of driving, or
working at a computer - all these
can lead to a compressed or
pinched nerve in the body.
Now is the best time to point out
that sciatica is not a disease or
diagnosis. It describes a
combination of symptoms that
arise as a result of nerve damage.
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How to Recognise the Signs?

The symptoms of sciatica, or rather the way it manifests itself, are:

Tingling or burning down one leg Lower back pain

Constant pain on one side of the body Pins and needles

Difficulty moving one foot or leg Numbness or weakness in one foot or leg

Shooting pain in any of the abovementioned

Hip pain parts of the body, which usually makes
standing up a real challenge
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What Causes Sciatica Pain
and How Is It Diagnosed?
Common causes of sciatica
include:
To find out what is causing the
Ÿ Piriformis syndrome. It is characterised by pain in
the buttocks and hips that arises due to an irritated symptoms, you need to get an actual
piriformis muscle.

Ÿ Spinal disc herniation. This one happens when the

physical exam. Your doctor will assign
ring of an intervertebral disc tears down causing
the soft gel-like substance inside to protrude out of a series of tests such as an X-ray, MRI
it. In most cases, it irritates the L5-S1 nerve roots.
or CT. But then again, if you are
Ÿ Spondylolisthesis. This condition occurs when one
of the spinal bones moves out of alignment. It does pregnant, none of this will be a good
not always cause any symptoms but when it does,
it can manifest itself as mild to severe leg pain. idea. Talk to your healthcare provider
Ÿ Spinal stenosis. This is when the spaces within the about it.
spine get narrower, leaving insufficient room for
the nerves. It is most common in the neck and
lower back.
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Why Does It Happen to Pregnant Women?

As we already said, this nerve is the largest one in the body. Since it sits below the
uterus, it can get irritated or compressed by the baby itself. The fact that your
posture will change throughout the months, forced by the growing bump, also
plays a part.

How to Treat Sciatica Pain
During Pregnancy
Without Medication
Physical therapy (by PhysioActive
Singapore). This is a term that covers
a range of treatments to use for
different ailments and medical
conditions. It can include anything
from core-strengthening exercises to
osteopathy. The way it helps people
with sciatica symptoms is by
realigning the muscles and joints,
improving blood flow, and reducing
inflammation. A physical therapist
can suggest the right type of physical
activity for you and walk you through
the process. In addition, they can
work with you individually to make
sure you are doing the movements in
a safe fashion.
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Expecting mothers can go for a number of
methods for sciatic nerve pain relief that do not
involve the use of anti-inflammatory drugs.
Prenatal yoga. Yoga is a well-known Acupuncture. A dominant factor in
practice that can reduce weight, Chinese medicine, acupuncture is
enhance energy and respiration, not based on science. It soothes pain
maintain a good metabolism, by producing endorphins and is
increase flexibility, and protect from actually safe to use during pregnancy.
injury. Furthermore, it is linked to Many moms-to-be are reluctant to
improved athletic performance and take medicine for minor ailments and
cardio health. Implementing the right instead seek more baby-friendly
poses into your regimen can be of methods. Contrary to what most
great help when it comes to people think, the treatment is not
alleviating sciatica pain. Needless to painful. At the very least you may
say, you should do this under the experience a dull ache at the site of
guidance of a professional. During the inserted needle. Tingling is also
pregnancy, your ligaments loosen possible. Things can get a little bit
and it can be dangerous to perform more intense at the fingers and toes
some postures. but the unpleasant sensation is likely
to be short-lived.

What are Some Good
Stretching Exercises
That Can Help?
Before you begin any of these stretches, ensure that you get
a yoga mat or something of the same calibre. It will keep
your body (feet and hands) from slipping. The last thing you
want is to get hurt while trying to make yourself feel better.
Child's pose. Get on all fours. Your knees should be
under your hips. Ensure that your toes are touching
one another. As you breathe in, slide your belly
between your knees. With arms outstretched, your
butt should come closer to your heels and your
forehead should be on the ground. If you can't get your
head to touch the ground, put a pillow below it. Don't
carry it too far, you don't want to hurt yourself or your
baby. Hold the position for a couple of breaths.
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Lunge. Kneel on the floor. Move one foot forward
trying to create a 90-degree angle. Now, lean forward
and make sure you shift the weight from your torso to
your front leg. When you feel a stretch in your thigh and
hip, hold the position for a few seconds. Repeat on the
other side.
Bridge. Lie on your back and bend your knees. Keep
your arms straight. Your feet should be positioned hip-
width apart and flat on the ground. As you breathe in,
begin to move your lower back off the floor. Then move
on to your hips and back until you've lifted off your
entire back from the yoga mat. Make sure you keep a
neutral spine. Hold for a while. As you breathe out,
gradually move into the starting position. Repeat a few
times.
Cat-cow. Get on all fours, making sure your hips are
over the knees and your shoulders over the wrists.
Arch your back and drop your belly. Your shoulders
should be rolled back. Then as you exhale, hunch over
your back like a cat. Repeat a few times.
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What Is the Best

Sleeping Position for Sciatica?

If you can make a few adjustments, almost all sleep strategies will work for you. For instance, slumbering on your
back is a great choice but it is important to put a pillow beneath your knees. That way you will keep the spine's natural
curve in place. Without additional support, your back might be exposed to more pain than usual. Keep in mind that this
position is not the best for people with sleep apnoea.

Now, what about those side sleepers? They could try tucking a pillow between the legs. This will help keep the
entire spine in a neutral position. By adding support, the body is not likely to twist as much as it does when rolling the
leg forward to sit on the bed.

Without a doubt, the worst position is sleeping on your stomach but considering you're growing a baby inside of
you, that's not even an option right now. Yet, in case you are wondering why this isn't a good idea in general, let us
clarify. It just works against gravity, causing your back to stay extended and arch in an unusual way. This can worsen
the pain significantly.
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Pregnancy and sciatica should not go
together but, alas, we don't have control
over these things, do we? What matters
Final Thoughts is that there are certain steps to take to
make the process a little bit less daunting
for you. It is best to consult a specialist
about it but it doesn't hurt to try a few
tricks at home. Now, if the pain is severe
and those tips are of no use, there is still
the hope that once you deliver, things will
go back to normal, Pregnancy might last
a long period but it's going to be over one
day. And when the baby is born, the
pressure on the nerves will eventually be
relieved.
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Physio Active Singapore +65 6235 2647

Orchard Branch at Camden Medical Centre #11-05 Singapore 248649

www.physioactive.sg

For more info about Sciatica visit:

http://www.physioactive.sg/our-services/common-conditions/back-injuries/