Should I be concerned about sciatic nerve pain during pregnancy?

It’s not uncommon for women to experience lower back pain during pregnancy. After all, the weight of the baby throws off the body’s center of gravity, and this can negatively affect lower back posture. However, pregnant women who feel a burning pain in their lower back might have sciatic nerve pain. 

Sciatic nerve pain is also known as sciatica, and it occurs when one of the sciatic nerves is irritated or pinched. This issue isn’t as common as other forms of lower back pain. One study on pregnant women shows that only 1% of them had true sciatica even though 49% of them had lower back pain during their pregnancy. 

Based on this information, most women shouldn’t be concerned that their lower back is being affected by sciatic nerve pain during pregnancy. However, physical therapists can help treat women who develop sciatica during pregnancy. 

How physical therapists can treat sciatic nerve pain during pregnancy

A physical therapist will take several steps to help treat sciatic nerve pain during pregnancy. First, they’ll evaluate your back to determine that your pain is being caused by sciatica. This could involve having you perform movement tests and answer questions about the severity, type and location of your pain. 

Once your physical therapist has confirmed that you have sciatica, they can build you an individualized treatment plan. Such a plan can include therapy methods like: 

1. Myofascial release — Myofascial trigger points (MTPs) are areas of tension that build up in muscles and other soft tissue. The tension they cause can pull the lower back out of alignment and pinch the sciatic nerve. Myofascial release is a technique that physical therapists use to reduce the tension in MTPs. One study on lower back pain patients found that myofascial release led to a 62.6% decrease in their pain after four weeks of treatment. 

2. Aquatic therapy — Reducing pressure on the pinched nerve and spine can help sciatica patients. Aquatic therapy is one of the best ways to do this. Water has a natural buoyancy; this helps decrease the pressure that gravity places on the spine. One aquatic therapy study reports that six months’ use for lower back pain led to more than 90% of patients reporting a decrease in their symptoms. 

3. Muscle energy techniques — These are a part of a therapy category called manual therapy. Muscle energy techniques (METs) involve the physical therapist having you contract muscles in the affected area. Then, they use their hands to apply a measured and directed counterforce. METs can be very helpful for people with lower back pain. Medical researchers from one lower back pain study reveal that METs helped restore 95% of lumbar spine mobility on average in 10 days. 

Find help with sciatic nerve pain during pregnancy at Peak Performance

Dealing with the burning of sciatic nerve pain during your pregnancy? Our physical therapists at Peak Performance are ready to help you take the edge off your pain. We offer free screenings that can confirm you have sciatica. Our team also excels at building personalized therapy plans designed to reduce and prevent the symptoms of sciatica. 

Not able to come to an in-person therapy session? No worries! You can get help for your sciatica from home thanks to the virtual therapy service we offer. 

Contact us today for more information about how we can help treat your lower back pain or to schedule your initial appointment.