2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21
In 85% of all cases at the 20th week of pregnancy, a woman complains of pain in the lumbar region. Such sensations may not be associated with the lower back itself. Pain that radiates to the back during pregnancy may be associated with a pinched sciatic nerve. A similar phenomenon occurs due to compression of the nerve walls during pregnancy. A pinched sciatic nerve during pregnancy is medically known as sciatica.
Reasons
The sciatic is the largest nerve of all the nerves in the human body, which originates from the lumbar region, forming into the sacral plexus, descends below the sciatic muscles, providing movement for the lower back, thigh, lower leg and foot. The main cause of pinching of the sciatic nerve during pregnancy is an increased load on the spine due to the severity of the fetus and hormonal changes during pregnancy.childbearing.
The most difficult period for the sciatic nerve begins with the 20th week of pregnancy. The climax of the test for the sciatic nerve comes at the last stage of pregnancy, when the female body is preparing for childbirth. At this time, in the body of a woman, excessive mobility of all joints is observed, the ligamentous apparatus acquires increased elasticity. In addition, with an increase in the weight of the fetus, the size of the uterus increases, which puts pressure on the tissues of the sciatic nerve, on all joints and the entire spine as a whole. The entire list of changes is a new condition to which the sciatic nerve responds. As a result, his tissues are pinched.
With a normal pregnancy and if the woman is absolutely he althy and in shape, then such a pathology should not occur. In our time, the opposite is true. Unfortunately, every second woman has various diseases, anemia, diabetes, and every third suffers from obesity and musculoskeletal problems. Therefore, pinching of the sciatic nerve during pregnancy is a very common phenomenon.
Main symptoms
The most basic symptom of the sciatic nerve during pregnancy is, of course, pain that a woman can feel in the lumbar region, which subsequently radiates to the legs, calves, and pelvic region. The nature of the pain felt may not be the same for all pregnant women. For some, the pain is manifested only in the area from the lower back. Someone may feel pain throughout the body from the lower back to the bottom. Someone is experiencing knee painjoints. It all depends on the individual characteristics of the female body, on the physical condition and the presence of concomitant diseases. True, pain has one unifying resemblance. It is usually unilateral, although in rare cases the pain can appear on both sides at the same time. The stronger it is, the greater the threat of miscarriage and the higher the likelihood of premature birth.
Pinching of the sciatic nerve during pregnancy can cause constipation, impaired urination, and even cause weakened labor. In this case, childbirth can proceed with complications that can threaten the life of the child. In addition, when the sciatic nerve is pinched during pregnancy, most women experience burning and numbness in the lumbar region, in the legs. Burning and numbness can be felt so strongly that a woman is not able to stand for a long time, walk, sit for a long time, she often has to change her position in order to reduce pressure on the walls of the tissues of the sciatic nerve.
Diagnostic Methods
Before proceeding with the treatment of this pathology, pinching should be correctly diagnosed. After all, based only on manifestations alone, prescribing treatment is dangerous. This is due to the fact that the symptom of a pinched sciatic nerve may be the result of the presence of other diseases. For example, the same signs will appear in cases of an inflammatory process in the area of the pubic joint, or it may be associated with pyelonephritis, myositis and others.diseases. Most often, your gynecologist can make an accurate diagnosis.
In rare cases, a doctor may write a referral for a consultation with other specialists, a neurologist, nephrologist, urologist, infectious disease specialist, and so on. Sometimes an MRI is needed. CT during pregnancy is contraindicated. But in most cases, pinching of the sciatic nerve occurs against the background of pregnancy. Especially when it comes to a woman with a period of 20 weeks of pregnancy or more. If there is no doubt about the diagnosis, the gynecologist prescribes the appropriate treatment for the sciatic nerve during pregnancy.
How is the treatment going?
Many pregnant women wonder what to do with the sciatic nerve during pregnancy? After all, the treatment that a doctor prescribes to his ordinary patients is not suitable for women who are carrying a baby.
First of all, a woman cannot lie on a hard surface. Therefore, it is recommended that she sleep on flat and hard mattresses. Get out of bed carefully, do not rush and do not make any sudden movements. Gymnastics with such a problem consists of only one exercise. A woman should get on all fours two to three times a day. In this position, stand for as long as you can, but not less than 10 minutes. Usually this type of exercise relieves the sharpness of the manifested pain, numbness disappears and the level of burning sensations decreases.
Bandage
In addition, during pregnancy problems, especially if the fetus is large, a woman is advised to wear a bandage. It is also necessary for those women who, in addition to pregnancy, are diagnosed with obesity. Wearingbandage and heels for pinched sciatic nerve and during pregnancy - these are the things that are unacceptable. When sedentary, a woman is recommended to get up every 40-45 minutes and walk for five minutes, keeping her back straight.
Food
A properly composed diet, a he althy lifestyle is also one of the methods for treating pinching of the sciatic nerve and preventing its occurrence. You should include plenty of foods high in calcium and magnesium in your diet. These elements, entering the body in sufficient quantities, help strengthen the musculoskeletal tissue.
If the sciatic nerve is pinched during pregnancy, what to do and what foods to eat:
- seafood;
- knots;
- prune;
- beets;
- greens;
- nuts;
- dried apricots;
- beans;
- dairy products - cheese, cottage cheese, sour cream, kefir, but not milk.
Medicated treatment
Infringement of the sciatic nerve during pregnancy is rarely treated with drugs. Unless it is necessary in the case when a woman is unable to endure severe pain. In the treatment of the sciatic nerve, pregnant women are advised to use topical preparations. That is, use various, rubbing, compresses, ointments and gels with analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects.
The safest products for pregnant women include all ointments, gels based on diclofenac. For example:
- "Voltaren";
- "Dicloberl";
- "Diklak-gel", etc.
Their use will relieve soreness, as well as relax the muscles of the uterus, which will prevent the threat of miscarriage. Rectal preparations based on diclofenac have a good effect.
Attention! Any treatment, as well as the use of alternative methods, can be practiced by pregnant women with inflammation of the sciatic nerve only after consulting with the attending physician, and if the woman is allergic, then only after consulting with the allergist.
Folk methods as another way to deal with pathology
Only if there are no contraindications, women can trust the methods of traditional medicine to treat inflammation of the sciatic nerve during pregnancy. One of the most effective methods of treatment is carrying out water procedures using a decoction of juniper and thyme.
You can also use a warm bath with a decoction of elderberry, thyme, motherwort, chamomile, mint, pine buds, hops, tansy and others that have a calming effect. You can also rub and make compresses from the same herbs.
Main recommendations
Recommendations for the treatment of this pathology at home:
- Don't treat joint pain with pills without a prescription.
- Any discomfort in the lumbar region is a signal that you need to respond to without delay.
The best way to treat this kind of disease ina woman who is expecting a baby is the prevention of pathology, which consists in movement, proper nutrition, he althy sleep and lifestyle.
One of the important tasks of a woman, if the sciatic nerve hurts during pregnancy, is to seek qualified help in time and get the necessary recommendations and treatment. This will keep the mother and the unborn baby he althy.
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