Sciatic Nerve Pain

 Raise your hand if you have struggled with sciatica pain during or after pregnancy!

 It is a pain in the butt!! Literally!!

Due to the instability of the pelvis during and after pregnancy, we are more susceptible to the issue.  So what is this diagnosis and what can we do? 

Sciatica during pregnancy is not uncommon, as the growing uterus can put pressure on the sciatic nerve, causing pain and discomfort. The sciatic nerve is the longest nerve in the body, running from the lower back down the back of each leg. It controls the muscles of the lower leg and provides sensation to the thighs, legs, and the soles of the feet. The sciatic nerve can become compressed or irritated, leading to a condition called sciatica, which can cause pain, tingling, or numbness in the lower back, buttocks, and legs.

The nerve is covered by many layers of muscles. If the muscle become unbalanced or tight, it can compress the nerve.

Mount Sinai explains that common causes of sciatica can include:

• Slipped or herniated discs 
• Sprinal stenosis
• Piriformis syndrome (a pain disorder involving the narrow muscle in the buttocks)
• Pelvic injury or fracture
•  Spondylolisthesis

Most of all, this can be annoying!  Combining stretches with strengthening exercises can help to relieve the pain and stabilize the pelvis. Unfortunately, there is not a one size fits all approach to this issue as it really depends on why the nerve is angry in the first place. I have included several exercises to give you a well-rounded exercise program to help. Please listen to your body and stop when the pain persists. When exercises don’t help relieve the pain, contact a local physical therapist to help.

Exercises to relieve pain:

Spinal extension

Figure 4

Cross ankle to knee and pull to opposite shoulder

Cat cow

Standing ball balance

Calf stretches/raises

Side leg series up/down

Check out the Sciatic Nerve videos inside the membership for demonstrations and more exercises to try!