Sciatica and 5 Stretches to Ease the Pain
19th August 2021
Sciatica or sciatic nerve pain is very common during pregnancy. It’s common and unfortunately very painful.
Sciatica is caused by irritation of the sciatic nerve; the nerve branches off of your spinal cord in your lower back and runs through your buttocks and down your legs.
During pregnancy, your growing baby and expanding uterus can put pressure on your sciatic nerve; pressure on this nerve can cause inflammation, irritation, and pain.
You’ll know it’s sciatica if you’re experiencing shooting pains that start in your lower back, and radiate down your legs.
Sciatica is most likely to occur later on in your pregnancy (usually third trimester) as your baby gets bigger; the extra weight puts pressure on the nerve.
Most women typically experience pain just on one side, though you may feel it in both legs. The pain can be constant or intermittent, depending on the amount of pressure placed on the nerve.
Here are a few things to try to relieve the pain:
try to avoid sitting for too long
sleep on the side of your body that is pain free
use a warm compress where you feel the pain
try to gain pregnancy weight in a steady pace
We put together a short video with 5 easy stretches to ease the pain, you can watch it by clicking the button below:
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