Are you pregnant and experiencing shooting pains down your leg? Or does it feel like electricity is running through your legs? These are common issues for many pregnant women, and often they are told that it is caused by the sciatic nerve. In this article, we will talk about sciatic pain and what you can do when the pain shoots down your leg.
What is sciatica?
Sciatica describes pain that originates from the lower back/pelvis and radiates down the leg, often all the way down to the foot. The pain occurs because the sciatic nerve is pinched, and there are several reasons why this can happen.
To understand how the sciatic nerve is pinched, we must first understand where the nerve is located. The sciatic nerve starts at the bottom of the lower back and ends in the calf/foot. One of the most common places the nerve can be pinched is at the bottom of the lower back. If you have a herniated disc, it can pinch the nerve, causing pain to radiate down the leg. In addition, wear and tear in the back can also cause sciatic pain. When there is wear and tear, there is often less space for the nerve, making it more likely to be pinched.
Fortunately, it is rare for pregnant women to have sciatic pain due to a herniated disc or wear and tear in the lower back. It is estimated that only about 10-20% of pregnant women have "real" sciatic pain. Therefore, it is interesting to move on to the concept of false sciatica.
What is false sciatica?
False sciatica describes pain that feels similar to "real" sciatica, starting in the lower back and radiating down the leg, but it is not caused by the pinching of the sciatic nerve. There can be several causes for this pain, and it is usually due to a combination of locked joints and tight muscles.
This is the group that most pregnant women with pelvic pain radiating down the leg end up in. As most people are aware, there are changes in the joints during pregnancy. The body prepares for birth, making the joints somewhat more mobile than usual. Often, the body responds to this by tightening the muscles in the lower back and buttocks, and the pelvic joints can lock. Pain from pelvic joints is difficult to diagnose on X-rays or MRIs, so a thorough clinical examination is often necessary to make the correct diagnosis.
Tips for those with sciatic pain:
Try some simple exercises to loosen up your back. A good exercise is to get on all fours and arch and round your back. Repeat 12 times and do 2-3 sets.
Take some short walks. It is often better to take several short walks than one long one.
Avoid heavy lifting, especially while bending forward.
Be careful sitting for long periods. Sitting in a car can be particularly uncomfortable because of the way car seats are designed.
When should you seek help?
You should seek help if the pain you are experiencing worries you. Often, talking to someone who specializes in examining the pain you are experiencing can be helpful because you get an answer to what is causing the pain.
In addition, you should seek help if you have high pain intensity, you have pain every day, or you are on sick leave due to your pain. In many cases, small changes can be made to make the pain better. It can often be a combination of treatment, exercises you can do at home, or small changes in everyday life that ensure that you put less strain on your back.