Sciatica After Birth – How To Get Some Relief

Sciatica after birth – When you first feel a sciatica, you never forget that moment. The mind numbing pain shooting right through your body can

send a person into a panic. Some pain can be so bad you wonder if you should go to the hospital. Sciatica after birth is extremely difficult. Not only are you experiencing shooting pain, but also, your body has just gone through a major trauma, birth. Whether your have had a c section, or just your body is readjusting slowly back to its pre baby state, caring for a newborn and dealing with a sciatica is a challenge. Here is how you can get relief.

Table of Contents

What Is Sciatica

According to the Mayo Clinic, a sciatica is when a pain radiates over the sciatic nerve. Those with sciatica may experience leg numbness and/or extreme pain. The pain can be in your buttock, leg and/or back. Many pregnant people experience sciatica. Many people only experience sciatica for a few weeks, but their are exceptions.

Symptoms of Sciatica

Sciatica does not hide itself. The pain experienced from sciatica is both sudden and severe. Sometimes, the intensity can take someone’s breath away. Here are the symptoms that you may have if you are experiencing sciatica.

Leg Pain

Leg pain is common for many people, but this type of leg pain is a shooting pain that goes right down your leg.

Leg Numbness

One of your legs is in so much pain but then goes numb. It feels like you cannot feel your leg. You may struggle to walk on this leg. Numbness can be temporary, for only a few moments or last a long time.

Buttock Pain

Your left or right buttock may feel a sharp pain coming from your back. This shooting pain is often sudden and severe. It can occur during pregnancy or you can experience sciatica after delivery.

Buttock Numbness

Usually follows after sciatic nerve pain, buttock numbness can be in your left of right cheek or both buttocks. It can be temporary and last only for a few minutes or be much longer. It may feel uncomfortable to sit.

Shooting pain from your back to your leg

This shooting pain is sudden and severe. It may last for only a few seconds or reoccur regularly for months.

Shooting pain from your back to your buttock or buttocks

This pain extends through half of your body, being severe and swift. It can last as little as a few seconds or come back on and off for a few months time.

No matter how long or short these pains last, it is always important to inform your doctor.

How Long Does Sciatica Last After Birth

Luckily for most people suffering through sciatica through out their pregnancy, sciatica can go away as soon as you give birth to your baby. This is a relief for the mother and gives her time to enjoy her child without the pain and numbness. This is the result for many of the sciatic nerve pain cases after delivery. However, for some people, sciatica pain lasts after birth. Postpartum sciatica can be developed because of weakened abdominal and back muscles. For many mothers who have postpartum sciatica, it disappears within a few weeks.

If this is a continuing pain that does not go away in the first few weeks, those suffering from postpartum sciatica should see their doctor to see if it is the sciatic nerve agitating them, or is it something else.

How To Treat Your Postpartum Sciatica

The sciatic nerve pain can be excruciating and frustrating for a new parent. The needs of a newborn include being picked up and a parent with sciatica can have a painful experience if their sciatica is agitated in anyway. Sciatica is often a sudden shoot of pain and can be unpredictable.

When looking to treat your postpartum sciatica, the first thing to do is to see your doctor. From there, you can make a pain management plan to relieve yourself from postpartum sciatica. Similarly, it gives you the opportunity to have a checkup to make sure your sciatica is not something else.

Here are some of the common ways to treat your postpartum sciatica. Talk to your doctor before trying any of these methods to see if it is right for you.

Firstly, sciatica develops for pregnant people because of a weakened abdominal and back muscles. It can (but not always) be aggravated due to obesity. These muscles have not been exercised due to pregnancy. Slowly, get back into taking short walks, and activating those muscles. Do not jump into a workout class or extreme work outs to bounce back. Your body has just been through a tremendous time, you have just given birth! Make sure to take it slowly.

Talk To Your Doctor About Seeing A Chiropractor

After speaking to your doctor about your postpartum sciatica, you can inquire about seeing a chiropractor. Many people who have just given birth see a chiropractor for some great spinal stretches to relieve sciatic pain. Chiropractors can address the sciatic nerve and often times relieve the pain. Sometimes, the exercises you do during pregnancy are similar to those you can do postpartum.

Begin An Exercise Routine

After speaking to your doctor about your postpartum workout, it is time to begin your exercise routine! Your core has not been engaged in a while and it is time to slowly introduce working out to it. Depending on your strength level, it is important to remember that this is not a sprint but a marathon to getting rid of sciatica pain. Taking short walks is a great way to begin. When you are ready and cleared for more intense workouts, try sit ups, stretches, yoga and pilates. These are safer fat burning exercises that bring on the results.

Yoga

Yoga is a great way to start stretching again and engage your core. Start off easy with some easy yoga stretching. As you progress, you may find our pain going away and coming back less frequently. Try Pigeon pose or Child’s pose to start and stretch your ligaments.

Stretching

Waking up and stretching everyday is so helpful in calming your sciatic nerve. You will begin to feel realigned again. Stretching wakes your body up for physical activity. Try stretching every morning to start your day off right.

Pilates

Engaging in pilates is a great way to activate your core and begin the journey of healing. This intense workout will have you sweating. Go easy on yourself and start a stretching and yoga plan before you engage in pilates. Ask your doctor, especially if you have had a C Section.

Walking

Walking everyday is a brisk and easy way to engage your core lightly while keeping healthy with a non strenuous activity. Take time to enjoy yourself and you do not have to go on a long and challenging hike. Just walking around the block in your neighborhood will suffice. Take our family along with you so everyone can get out and get some fresh air.

Start A Healthy Eating Regime

Getting the energy to work out, take care of your baby and take on other tasks needs energy. Eating healthy is the fuel you need to help you exercise regularly to relieve your sciatica. When you eat healthy, you give your body the right fuel to burn energy. Secondly, it helps you burn fat. It will relieve some of the extra weight in your core which could stop aggravating your sciatic nerve. Many people have weight in their middle and it is normal to have excess weight after pregnancy. Eating healthy is a great way to get some of the weight off that may relieve your sciatic nerve. Slow and steady wins the race.

If you struggle with healthy eating, make slow changes so you don’t feel the pressure. Every little bit helps.

See A Physical Therapist

A physical therapist is full of knowledge when it comes to a sciatica and can be an important part of your post natal care team. They have great tips on how to treat your postpartum sciatica and will have some important tips on how to carry a baby and not cause sciatica.

What is a physical therapist?

A physical therapist can help provide and change your quality of life through specific exercise. These movement experts help mild to extreme cases of those in pain and are a definite asset for people suffering from sciatica.

Physical therapy may be right for you. Especially if the pain has lasted over a month postpartum.

Heating Pad

Putting a heating pad on the effected area can really help calm down the pain from postpartum sciatica. The warm feeling may calm the numbness down associated with sciatica. Secondly, it can provide some comfort and temporary pain relief.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture is the process in which small thin needles are inserted briefly in the skin. It is known to relieve pain, stress and so much more. Based on the teachings of Chinese traditional medicine, many people rely on acupuncture for overall health and well being. It is known to relieve the symptoms of sciatica. Ask your doctor if acupuncture is right for you.

Reduce Stress

Reducing stress is a mental and emotional release and can increase your overall well being. What does mental and emotional stress have to do with sciatica? When we are stressed, our body often tenses up. The sciatic nerve pain after child birth can be activated by tense muscles. If we reduce stress, we feel better emotionally and we release the tensions from our body. Tense muscles may activate a sciatica.

Be Kind To Yourself

When we hear “be kind to yourself”, we brush it off. But when you really think about it, how kind are we to ourselves as we go through sciatic pain? It’s okay to be frustrated about your situation. The pain can be unbearable and you have every right to be annoyed. However, do not beat yourself up if you have not been able to overcome your sciatica. You have just given birth to a baby and that is a long and difficult process on your body. Secondly, be kind to yourself as you gain core strength. It takes time for your body to heal. Lastly, put your health as a priority in your life. You matter and you being healthy is important to the entire family.

Sciatica After Birth

Even though most people heal from a sciatica as soon as they give birth, for some it takes more time. Remember to try our recommendations to relieve your sciatica, speak to your doctor regularly on your progress and further recommendations. Lastly, be sure to be kind to yourself during this transition. Things may not change overnight but you will be able to heal soon. Having a good health care team and a positive head space can make all of the difference in the world.

Sciatica After Birth

Sciatica After Birth – How To Get Some Relief

What Is Sciatica