Chiropractic Care For Sciatica
During Pregnancy in Vacaville

Pregnancy means that you're going to experience a lot of firsts like the first flutter of your baby moving inside your belly. These first moments are incredible but there are also some things that are disliked such as back pain that won't just go away. This is something that every pregnant mom doesn't expect during their pregnancy period because of how it will just ruin the nice moments.

It is quite normal for most mothers-to-be to experience a dull, throbbing pain in the middle of the back or the buttocks. However, some unlucky ones will experience the searing pain of sciatica during pregnancy, which can be described as a painful but fortunately temporary condition. If you suffer from sciatica in Vacaville, continue to read on to see how our team at Absolute Integrative Physical Medicine can help!

What is sciatica?

Sciatica is unlike your average pregnancy back pain. It can deliver a sharp, shooting pain, where the numbness or tingling starts in the back or buttocks and radiates towards the back of your legs. The sciatic nerve is known for being the largest nerve in the body since it runs from the lower back, down the buttocks, and branches down the back of the legs then finally into the ankles and feet. Sciatica occurs when your sciatic nerves get compressed by arthritis or bulging and ruptured discs, or even narrowing of the spinal cord. But there are rare cases when pregnant women experience sciatica as short-term side effect.

Causes of sciatica during pregnancy

Sciatica during pregnancy can be blamed on these usual suspects:

• When the uterus expands, it can put pressure on the sciatic nerve in the lower part of your spine.
• Weight gain and increased fluid retention can compress the sciatic nerve as it passes through the pelvis.
• The growing uterus can put pressure on your herniated or slipped disc, thereby compressing your sciatic nerves in the process.
• When your baby starts to settle into the proper birth position during the third trimester, your baby's head can rest directly on the nerve.
• Your growing breasts and belly will shift your center of gravity forward, which could stretch your lordotic curve. This will cause your pelvic and buttocks muscle to tighten up and pinch the sciatic nerve.

It is during the third trimester where sciatica will most likely occur since both you and your baby are bulking up. Most women feel the pain on just one side, though it can also be experienced on both legs.

Sciatica can either be constant or intermittent, depending on the pressure on the nerve. As you put on more weight and retain fluid, the intensity of the pain will continue to increase. It can remain for a few months or so after you've given birth, until you've lost the excess weight and fluid pressing on the nerve.

Ways to relieve sciatica in Vacaville CA

• Use a warm compress on the pained area.
• Take a break from time-to-time to allow your feet to relax. Make sure to rest in a comfortable position to relieve some leg and lower back pain.
• Perform some pelvic tilts during your Kegel exercises, since it will help strengthen your core muscles and reduce inflammation.
• Sleep on the pain-free side of your body.
• Use a firm mattress with plenty of back support for extra comfort when you sleep at night. You can also add some pregnancy pillow between your legs to provide better alignment for your pelvis and reduce the pressure in your sciatic nerve.
• Chiropractic adjustments can help ease your sciatica. On top of that, try adding a customized physical therapy regimen to provide further relief.

So, if you need some help with your pregnancy and sciatica, you can ask some help from Dr. Alex Tam of Absolute Integrative Physical Medicine in Vacaville. His clinic can be found on the Solano county so make sure to contact him in his office by dialing (707) 474-5688.