Pregnancy can be quite the endeavor for any woman. Weight gain, physical immobility, and nights sleeping on your back are all nuisances that are bound to happen sooner or later. As if those problems weren’t enough, other serious medical problems could arise while being pregnant. One health problem in particular that may occur is sciatic nerve pain during pregnancy. Trouble with your sciatic nerve during pregnancy can be fully prevented, but a brief overview of this nerve is needed to understand the health problem.
The location of the sciatic nerve is in your lower back region and continues down into your legs and further on to your feet. Sensations in the muscles of your legs are felt via the sciatic nerve. If you are injured or exert considerable amount of pressure on this nerve, then you may feel intense pain from possible inflammation. The pain will continue if proper treatment is not administered and soon you will begin to feel weak in your lower extremities. Your body may give you an indication that you have injured your sciatic nerve through stinging sensations that are similar to when a foot or leg goes numb.
Sciatic nerve pain during pregnancy makes sense because pregnant women tend to put great pressure on their back. The sciatic nerve is unable to cope with pressure that is being given and so health problems can surface. The problem can become even more severe as discs of the spinal cord can potentially be injured.
Getting regularly examined by your physician during the pregnancy can help to prevent sciatica. Make sure to inform the physician of any history problems with your back. Here are also a couple of signs that can alert you to your possible condition of sciatica:
- Aching in the lower back down to the feet
- A tingling sensation from the lower back down to the feet
- Loss of sensation in the lower extremities
Sciatica is very common for pregnant woman. The signals that show sciatica is developing can be easily detected and should be taken care of right away. Your doctor can help provide you with the relief and medical attention you need to stay healthy during your pregnancy.
