Sciatic Nerve Pain???

[Deleted]

Let me preface with this:  I have an appt with my OB tomorrow and I will probably ask her this same question.

I occasionally get this sharp pain in my lower back on my right side.  It happened tonight when I bent down to scoop out my dog's food.  I stood up and when I put weight on my right foot it happened again.  The first thing that popped into my head was "oh...sciatic nerve pain!"  (because it felt like a "nerve" pain not a muscle, and because I have seen it mentioned a few times on here).  I searched the board but it brought up a bunch of the randoms threads and I didn't want to search through pages of randoms to find something about this.  So of course I googled.  Google seems to think that this mostly happens when you have back problems already...which I don't have.

So I am risking sounding ignorant...but is what I am describing sciatic nerve pain?  If not...are any of you experiencing this and how did you deal with it?

tIA!

[Deleted]

@jraeohyeaaa,I would try to bend down back straight (like squatting) and not fold over when bending. Ive been having a ton of pain in my legs/pelvis and recently bought this which has helped. Let me know what your dr says!

[amylee545]

Yeah this sounds like typical sciatic nerve pain. I had a back injury 2 years ago that still causes the nerve pain and spasms. It's been getting progressively worse and worse for me, to the point where walking is painful (which is no good, seeing how im a nurse and am on my feet for pretty much all 8 hours of my work day). My next step is to book an apt with my chiropractor. If you're out of alignment, that can make it worse and aggravate the nerve. Which, with everything moving around and shifting in ur body, U very well could be out of alignment.

[chemmom1]

It could be, when I've had it it goes down to my butt and back of my thigh. Mine was awful for about a week and then it magically went away. I'm assuming the baby moved, so I expect it to come and go the rest of the pregnancy. I haven't tried but others have mentioned a chiropractor helping. Your doc can let you know!

[honeylemon]

It sounds like possible sciatica. Mine goes all the way down my butt and into my thigh though.

I've never had previous back problems but have had sciatica with all of my pregnancies. My chiropractor has helped alleviate the pain a lot.

[lolo918]

It sounds like sciatica to me too. I have it on my left side when I don't do enough flexibility work, for me yoga. Of course, my left leg is quite a bit tighter than my right leg, and sometimes causes me issues when not pregnant too.

[kgnordman]

Mine went down left butt cheek. Started occasionally. After a few weeks, more often. It happened when I stood, when I sat, and when I walked. I'd barely get through work to just come home to lay on an ice pack or hearting pad. Sometimes it would shoot down my tailbone. Overcompensating, I messed up my upper and middle back. However....three weeks into going to a chiropractor 3x a week, I'm a whole new woman. Just a dull pain, which I think is what "normal" pregnancies are.

[scattered]

Mine also makes my butt cheek numb.

TMI?

[mlbrooks]

Sounds like sciatica. This is my favorite stretch to relieve it. Find a counter that is about hip or waist high and take one leg up cross ways on it and lean forward as much as you can without overdoing it. This is the best pic I could find illustrating it.

[honeylemon]

Feb 12, 2015 20:36:52 GMT -5 mlbrooks said:

Sounds like sciatica. This is my favorite stretch to relieve it. Find a counter that is about hip or waist high and take one leg up cross ways on it and lean forward as much as you can without overdoing it. This is the best pic I could find illustrating it.

Lol. I'm just trying to imagine doing this with my giant belly.

[Deleted]

Feb 12, 2015 20:36:52 GMT -5 mlbrooks said:

Sounds like sciatica. This is my favorite stretch to relieve it. Find a counter that is about hip or waist high and take one leg up cross ways on it and lean forward as much as you can without overdoing it. This is the best pic I could find illustrating it.

Half pidgeon pose and frog pose in yoga have helped me too which are similar. Just be sure to warm up a bit before going into a stretch. You can prop a folded blanket under the folded leg if the stretch is too much.

[lolo918]

@orangecrush, I simultaneously love and hate pigeon pose but it's awesome for sciatica pain. I just found frog pose, but I don't dread it as much as pigeon. In pigeon, I also will put a yoga block or thick book under my folded leg butt cheek when I'm really feeling tight.

[mlbrooks]

honeylemon surprisingly I am still able to do it just not as deep of a stretch as I'm used to.

[Deleted]

Feb 12, 2015 20:11:40 GMT -5 lolo918 said:

It sounds like sciatica to me too. I have it on my left side when I don't do enough flexibility work, for me yoga. Of course, my left leg is quite a bit tighter than my right leg, and sometimes causes me issues when not pregnant too.

This is interesting because I have always been tighter on my right side than my left. I danced for 8 years and everything was worse on my right side...maybe that is why this is happening on my right?

[Deleted]

Thank you for the stretches/ideas ladies! I will try them out and of course talk to my doc tomorrow. Glad to know there are options for relief!

[lolo918]

It could be, or at least that's what I thought explained my issues.