How to Relieve Sciatica when Pregnant

1. Understanding sciatica
2. Treatment and Management

Pregnant women with Sciatica commonly recover within a period of one to three months following the initial onset of the symptoms. Yet, the vast majority of pregnant females recover within a period of two months, however, for some women the symptoms can persist longer.

1. Physiotherapy

An obligatory consultancy with a doctor is obligatory before starting this course of treatment dedicated to strengthen the tummy muscles, pelvic floor and the muscles of the lower back by means of special physical exercises. Moreover, these exercises help in preserving the internal homeostasis, pregnant women with sciatica must perform exercises to prevent excess weight gain, and such training will help them keep mobile joints as this promotes building strong bones as well.

2. Anti inflammatory drugs, are the pillars of controlling sciatica, drugs commonly used include:

• Ibuprofen pills, on the onset of pain, take a pill every 6 hrs to ease the feeling of pain
• Voltaren Cream or Diclofenac apply gently on a clean warm skin (preferably after a hot shower), spread the cream evenly on your affected area, and follow up with mild massage while applying low pressure, the best time to apply this cream is at night, before lying down to bed.

3. Wearing an external belt, it is an effective method intended to assist in lifting the baby thus lowering the pressure of your belly from affecting your injured disc.

4. Epidural steroid injections done at the origin of the inflamed sciatic nerve roots, or in the place of nerve compression can release of pain and help in relieving sciatica.

5. Life modifications tips to Relieve Sciatica when Pregnant

A- Resting and quitting all forms of physical work that require ongoing bending and/or lifting of heavy objects

B- Lying down on your back for longer periods to stop further injury on your sciatic nerve

C- Apply heat such as a heated towel, or place an elastic gallon filled with warm water on the painful area for at least 10 minutes

D- Wear flat and sport friendly shoes to release your spine of pressure especially while standing or walking

E- Try not to lift anything heavy even if you think that it is not. If you do have to lift something your only choice should be calling your husband or anyone available to do so, but if you have no option but to do it yourself then try to bend with your back as straight as possible, drop all the pressure on your knees instead.

F- Preserve mobility, not to brick or stay still in the same position for long periods.

G- Use pillows and/or cushions to support your back when you sit, when you sleep try sleeping on your side and/or use your bump when you are in bed.

6. Diet

No special diet is available for pregnant women with sciatica and they do not need a special diet, but they are advised to maintain a healthy diet mandatory for preserving general health as well as for keeping strong bones, such recommendations and daily tips for pregnant women include:

A- Calcium, optimal daily dose 1,200 mg, recommended resources include food and especially dairy products “cheese, yogurt, milk, eggs, etc,..” because they are rich in calcium,

B- Vitamin D, optimal daily standard 400 IU, recommended resources include food (milk, eggs, fish, cod liver oil…) or supplementation in the form of vitamin D3 (calcivita) because it is similar to the vitamin D our bodies produce upon exposure to sunlight, making it easier on our bodies to handle them. Vitamin D3 supplementation improves the amount of intestinal Calcium our bodies can absorb being highly saturated in vitamin D3, as well as the Vitamin A (found in calcivita) aids the growth of the fetus.

If you suffer from diseases like kidney stones, gall bladder stones or podagra you must consult with your doctor prior to starting a vitamin D3 supplementation therapy.

C- Chamomile a common medicinal flower and one of the most popular sedatives and herbs known to mankind.

Drinking a cup of chamomile tea in the morning or in the evening before going to bed can be very helpful in releasing the body from pain and tensions. Enjoy a calm morning or a sweet long sleep at night by drinking a cup of this magical tea. Add a tablespoon of chamomile in 150-250ml cup of boiling water; allow steeping by keeping the cup covered for 15 minutes. Professionals recommend all pregnant women with sciatica to drink two-three cups of chamomile tea daily.

D- For newly married females with constant worries and pain episodes resulting from sciatica, passionflower may be the perfect treatment, as 40 drops daily tincture of this medicinal herbal flower is proven as effective as valium. Passionflower is also a magnificent antispasmodic and should be a first choice alternative treatment for pregnant women with constant nervous breaks.

7. Surgical treatment, to be considered in the post coitos “post delivery” period and is a recommended treatment if the sciatic nerve pain is severe, untreatable, and resistant to the classic normal medicinal treatment.

Being a sciatica patient is not the end of the world, professionals advise you to seek and join exercise classes because they can improve your strength and flexibility and can reinforce your overall fitness, this will help you in preventing sciatica from progressing and becoming a chronic long-lasting disease.

It is important to mention, that sciatica can limit your movement and the positions you can use during labor, so a pre-labor consultation with your gynecologist on using a birth pool can be extremely helpful, as it will make moving an easy job for mothers.

Verified by: Dr.Diab (January 7, 2017)

Citation: Dr.Diab. (January 7, 2017). How to Relieve Sciatica when Pregnant. Medcoi Journal of Medicine, 8(2). urn:medcoi:article15922.