Causes of pathology during pregnancy and childbirth
The likelihood of a pinched sciatic nerve is not related to the age of the expectant mother. Pathology is diagnosed even in young healthy girls who have not previously had problems with the musculoskeletal system and the spine in particular.
The reasons for the occurrence of a condition where the sciatic nerve hurts during pregnancy and during childbirth may be:
- increased load on the sacral region and the spine as a whole;
- a shift in the center of gravity due to an enlarged abdomen;
- pressure of the enlarged uterus on the sciatic nerve;
- hypothermia;
- excessive physical activity;
- inflammatory processes in the joints;
- multiple pregnancy or large fetus;
- polyhydramnios;
- concomitant diseases - diabetes mellitus, genitourinary system infections, osteochondrosis, thrombosis, spinal injuries;
- intervertebral hernia;
- violation of metabolic processes;
- malignant neoplasms;
- muscle spasms when pushing;
- divergence of the pelvic bones and their return to their natural position;
- postpartum trauma;
- displacement of the vertebrae during childbirth;
- complications during childbirth that required the use of a vacuum or obstetric forceps.
Most often, after childbirth, due to a decrease in load, discomfort disappears without the need for additional treatment. It is important for a young mother to learn how to lift the baby correctly and take a comfortable position while feeding the baby. In rare cases, a woman may need the help of a specialist even after the baby is born.
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Danger of pathology
First of all, sciatica is dangerous due to the threat of miscarriage in the early stages and premature birth in the later stages. Often, symptoms of pinched sciatic nerve that develop before the 10th week do not allow saving the fetus.
The weakening and loss of elasticity of the pelvic floor muscles and adjacent muscle tissue, which is caused by sciatica, can negatively affect the general condition of a woman, both during pregnancy and after childbirth.
Pathology can significantly complicate the process of delivery itself. Hyperthermia and necrosis of surrounding tissue can harm the baby.
Pinching during labor
In addition to the pinching options described above, pain can hamper a woman in labor during the process of giving birth to a child.
This happens when the pelvic bones diverge and thereby begin to put pressure on the nerve.
In addition, a dislocation of a bone or a displacement of a spinal disc is possible, but since the girl is under the influence of painkillers, as well as due to the presence of pain of a different nature, she cannot understand exactly what happened.
She will be in pain after the anesthesia wears off, which means she needs to undergo a comprehensive examination to identify the disease.
Compression of the nerve fiber during delivery does not affect the process of labor and is not an indication for cesarean section.
Clinical manifestations
Precursors of the disease - aching, nagging pain in the lower back - may appear even before conception. Often women do not pay attention to this. However, the developing fetus contributes to the worsening of the disease, so you need to take care of your health even at the stage of planning conception.
Symptoms of a pinched sciatic nerve in pregnant women:
- pain in the sacrolumbar spine, radiating to the buttocks and leg;
- pain that gets worse with movement, sneezing or coughing;
- change in gait;
- difficulty changing body position;
- difficulties with extension and abduction of limbs to the sides;
- feeling of numbness and tingling in the limbs;
- insomnia;
- increased fatigue;
- temperature increase;
- disruption of the functioning of some internal organs.
Uncontrolled urination or defecation, sharp unbearable pain in the tailbone area are a sign of a serious illness and require immediate hospitalization.
Diagnostics
Most known diagnostic methods are prohibited during pregnancy. This is due to the high likelihood of harm to the unborn child. To determine the presence of pathology, the doctor needs to interview and examine the woman to determine the nature of the pain, location and frequency of its occurrence.
If it is necessary to clarify the diagnosis, the expectant mother may be sent for an ultrasound. A more informative and reliable diagnostic method - magnetic resonance imaging - is allowed to be used starting from the second trimester of pregnancy.
Therapy methods
During pregnancy, the main thing is not to harm the fetus, so only a qualified specialist should treat the disease. It is necessary to carefully select medications and procedures that do not have a negative impact on the development of the unborn baby.
Drug treatment
The woman is prescribed strict bed rest, as well as injections of anti-inflammatory and painkillers based on ibuprofen or paracetamol. Drug treatment is used only for very severe unbearable pain and can last no more than 5-7 days.
In addition to injections, external agents can be used to treat inflammation of the sciatic nerve during pregnancy. They are less dangerous to the child’s health, since most of them do not enter the bloodstream and do not penetrate the placental barrier. These medications include Menovazin and Diclofenac, which have a pronounced analgesic and anti-inflammatory effect.
The doctor may also prescribe vitamin complexes, chondroprotectors and muscle relaxants that promote complete relaxation of muscle tissue.
Self-medication is strongly not recommended. The use of all types of medications must be agreed with the attending physician.
Physiotherapy
Moderate physical activity is the best way to reduce pain and get rid of pinching. You can do physical therapy during attacks of pain and to prevent them. Systematic exercise helps prevent the progression of the disease and significantly improves a woman’s quality of life.
Exercise "Cat's spine" For pregnant women
For sciatica, you can perform the following set of exercises:
- Get on all fours. Arch your back, lower your head down. Then return to the starting position and raise your head. Perform at least 5 approaches.
- Stand against a wall, pressing your lower back tightly against it. Relax and slightly raise your pelvis. In early pregnancy, the exercise can be performed in a lying position.
- Place a chair in front of you with one leg thrown over it. You need to keep your back straight. Slowly lean forward as far as your enlarged belly allows. Continue the movement until you feel a stretch in the back of your thigh. You need to stay in this position for a few seconds, then return to the starting position and relax.
You need to perform gymnastics slowly, without much tension. It is better to stop exercising if any exercise causes pain or noticeable discomfort. The exercise therapy complex must correspond to the duration of pregnancy, so a physiotherapist or physical therapy specialist should select the appropriate exercises.
Yoga
Yoga classes will help prevent the onset of the disease and significantly reduce the number of attacks if pinching has already occurred. Practice helps strengthen the pelvic floor muscles, normalize blood circulation, and restore proper breathing.
It is necessary to start classes under the supervision of a qualified instructor who has experience working with pregnant women.
It is preferable to sign up for special yoga for expectant mothers, because many classical yoga poses are prohibited during pregnancy, for example, training the abdominal muscles, deep stretching or squats.
Swimming
Water procedures can relieve stress from the spine, reduce pressure on muscle groups and ligaments, thereby reducing pain and the frequency of its occurrence. It is preferable to use indoor pools and attend classes for expectant mothers under the supervision of an instructor.
Swimming helps strengthen muscles and increase their elasticity, greatly facilitates the course of pregnancy and helps the expectant mother prepare for the upcoming birth.
Massage
Massage can only be trusted by an experienced specialist
Light massage movements of the lumbar region help relax the muscles, thereby reducing the frequency of pain attacks. A massage course consisting of 8-10 sessions will help significantly alleviate the condition.
It is better not to perform massage manipulations yourself at home, but to entrust this activity to an experienced specialist who has skills in working with pregnant women.
Manual therapy and osteopathy
Treatment can be carried out in combination with acupuncture and other similar procedures aimed at reducing the intensity of pain. An experienced chiropractor or osteopath will use gentle massage movements to help relieve pinching and improve the patient’s general condition.
Before using this treatment method, you should consult a gynecologist. Some complications during pregnancy do not allow the use of manual therapy.
Warming up
During the next attack, a warm scarf or blanket that needs to be wrapped around the lower back will help relieve the pain. The use of additional warming ointments and gels is permitted only as prescribed by a doctor. Most medications that relieve inflammation are contraindicated during pregnancy.
You can put warm compresses on your lower back and take salt baths. To do this, you need to dissolve a couple of kilograms of salt in warm water. This procedure is allowed only in the first trimester of pregnancy.
Alcohol lotions and rubbing, for example, tinctures of lilac flowers, horseradish, hot pepper or garlic, can help with back pain caused by a pinched nerve. Such remedies help increase blood circulation and relieve spasms.
Prenatal bandage
Doctors recommend that women wear special devices starting from the 20th week of pregnancy. The prenatal bandage reduces the load on the spine, distributing it evenly across all joints. This reduces pressure on the sciatic nerve and prevents pain attacks.
The device must be selected in size, not restrict movement and not squeeze the stomach. It is better to purchase a bandage in specialized stores and clinics.
Drug treatment
If the inguinal nerve is pinched, drug therapy is indicated, the main goal of which is to relieve pain. For this purpose the following are assigned:
- analgesics (“Analgin”, “Pentalgin”);
- anticonvulsants and muscle relaxants that relieve muscle spasms (Mydocalm, Gabapentin);
- rectal (vaginal) suppositories with analgesic properties (“Diazepam”);
- compresses with Dimexide (relieve muscle spasms).
To restore nerve conduction, taking B vitamins (intramuscularly) is indicated. In severe cases, it is recommended to take steroid hormones (Dexamethasone) or install novocaine blockades, which suppress acute pain. At the initial stages of pathology development, Xefocam is used.
In the absence of effect from drug therapy, surgical intervention is recommended. Surgeries are necessarily carried out when neoplasms are detected in the pelvic area or severe fractures. In case of severe compression of nerve fibers, surgical intervention helps restore the innervation of the pelvic tissues. This procedure is dangerous for the patient, so this treatment is resorted to in extreme cases. In addition, long recovery is required after surgery.
Possible complications and consequences
Women most often encounter pinched sciatic nerves in the second half of pregnancy. The consequences of this condition can be:
- numbness of the limbs;
- neuralgia;
- rachiocampsis.
Only timely, competent therapy will avoid the development of dangerous complications and successfully get rid of the disease.
What is the sciatic nerve
The sciatic nerve is a separate anatomical structure that is part of the sacral nerve plexus. This structure is rightfully the thickest nerve, which is formed from all the sacral nerve roots. This large peripheral nerve formation has the following branches:
- Superior twin branch;
- Internal obturator branch;
- Branch of the quadratus femoris muscle;
- Inferior twin branch.
Under the influence of external or internal negative factors, mechanical pinching of the fibers of the sciatic nerve very often develops, as a result of which the vivid symptoms of sciatic neuralgia come to the fore.
Preventive measures
To significantly reduce the risk of pathology, you must adhere to the following recommendations from doctors:
- in late pregnancy, wear a bandage;
- to refuse from bad habits;
- walk in the fresh air more often;
- wear comfortable clothes and flat shoes;
- perform special gymnastics, swim and do yoga;
- purchase an orthopedic mattress and pillow for pregnant women;
Maternity pillow - watch your posture;
- eat properly and nutritiously;
- control your weight;
- do not lift heavy objects;
- reduce the intensity of physical activity;
- avoid hypothermia;
- take complex vitamins and calcium supplements.
Don’t be shy about asking your loved ones for help and delegating some of your responsibilities to them. A pregnant woman needs to rest more often during the day, fully relax all muscle groups, and relieve stress from the spine and lower extremities.
Chamomile baths
Chamomile baths will be very useful . They will help not only cope with pinching, but also calm the nervous system, as they have an excellent relaxing effect.
Preparing a bath is quite simple. To begin with, you need to take 5 tablespoons of dried chamomile flowers and pour two glasses of boiling water over them. Let it brew for half an hour. After this, you can squeeze out the flowers, or you can pour the tincture along with them into a bath filled with warm (but not hot) water. If desired, you can add a few drops of any pine oil .
A pregnant woman can take such baths at least every day, but not lie down for more than 30 minutes - by this time the water will have cooled down, and a long stay in it can result in a cold.
