Sciatic Pain in Pregnant Women

Although essentially not a prevalent condition among pregnant women, sciatic pain affects a lot of childbearing women.

The sciatic nerve, among the body's longest nerves, extends from the lower back through the rear portion of the thighs and feet. This nerve innervates the muscles of your legs and feet. Direct injury or stress in the back may irritate this nerve resulting in sciatic pain. Persistent stress or pressure to the sciatic nerve may make your leg feel numb, weak and even itchy. Many women report feeling like their leg is being pricked by numerous needles and pins too.

Pregnancy can cause stress to the sciatic nerve leading to back pain and other common discomforts. Others believe that the pain brought about by the pressure on the sciatic nerve may be caused by the baby. But, that is not quite established yet, as sciatic pain in pregnant women is mostly due to spinal disk damage. This may result in inflammation of the tissues around the nerve or injury to the nerve itself. Spinal disks are more prone to injury among pregnant and overweight/obese women.

Women can contract sciatic pain anytime, whether pregnant or not. Some women may experience discomfort and pain during pregnancy. In women sciatic pain usually occurs in their back and lower extremity and they mostly experience itchy and aching sensation in those areas. Others may just feel the discomfort on one part of their body. Occasionally, pelvic pain in pregnant women can be misconstrued as sciatic pain too.

Sciatic pain in pregnant women is usually characterized by:

* Burning and tingling sensation in the lower back, buttock, leg

* Pricking (needles and pins) sensation in the lower back and affected lower extremity

* Numbness in the affected lower limb

* Pelvic pain which may extend to the foot

You need to know that sciatic pain may vanish without any medical treatment. However, you may experience pain for up to six weeks or even longer. If you are pregnant, you should undergo basic sciatic pain therapy as it can promote symptom relief. Physical therapy is one of the most effective and safe treatments to minimize discomfort and pain associated with sciatic pain during pregnancy.

You can engage in exercises recommended by your therapist. These workouts will not only help strengthen the muscles in your abdomen, back and pelvic area, but they can also promote successful normal delivery and post-partum health.

Sciatic pain during pregnancy period can also benefit from chiropractic therapy. But be sure that you are under the care of a qualified chiropractor with extensive experience in handling pregnant patients. Massage therapies can also help alleviate sciatic pain and inflammation. You should discuss with your doctor the best treatment option for you.