What is sciatic pain during pregnancy

Sciatica is pain that results from the irritation, inflammation, or compression of the sciatic nerve, which runs from your lower spine to your buttocks and down the back of your legs.  

Doctors also call it lumbosacral radicular syndrome. The pain can be mild or severe, and deep and dull or shooting and sharp. Sciatic nerve pain in pregnancy is most common during the third trimester, as you and your baby get larger, although it can happen earlier in pregnancy.

Sciatic nerve pain can come and go or be constant. It usually only happens on one side, though it can affect both sides. It may worsen as pregnancy progresses, and it may even continue for a short while postpartum.

What are the symptoms of sciatica?

Symptoms of sciatica can include:

• Pain in the lower back, buttocks, and/or legs
• Difficulty walking or standing
• Tingling or weakness in legs or feet
• Tenderness in the lower back

Talk with your caregiver if you think you have sciatica.

Note: If you have a loss of sensation in the legs, feet, groin, bladder, or anus (which may cause incontinence or make it difficult to urinate or have a bowel movement), talk with your caregiver immediately. These are possible signs of a severe disk herniation. Although this is unlikely to happen, it's considered a serious medical emergency and may require immediate surgical correction.

Causes of sciatica during pregnancy

Sciatica is usually caused by a herniated or bulging disc, but in pregnancy, that's a rare cause, affecting only about 1 percent of pregnant women.

Causes of sciatic nerve pain in pregnancy may include:

• The hormone relaxin, which your body produces to loosen ligaments in preparation for childbirth. As the ligaments stretch, joints can become unstable and muscles can become tense, which can contribute to sciatic pain.
• The shifting forward of your center of gravity may cause the muscles in your pelvis and buttocks to tighten and pinch the sciatic nerve.
• The weight of your growing baby and your expanding uterus may press down on the sciatic nerve.
• Your baby's position. As he settles into birth position in the third trimester, your baby's head may rest on the sciatic nerve.

What can you do to relieve sciatica pain?

To relieve sciatic pain:

• Take warm showers and use warm compresses or a heating pad (for 10 minutes at a time).
• Gently stretch the muscles with stretching exercises or prenatal yoga.
• Rest. Don't sit in one position for long periods, though.
• Sleep on the opposite side of the pain (if the pain is on one side).
• Use plenty of back support when you're sleeping. Sleep on a firm mattress, and use a pregnancy pillow for support. Placing a pillow between your legs may take the pressure off the sciatic nerve.
• Try Kegel exercises and pelvic tilts to help strengthen muscles
• Swim for exercise. Because of the buoyancy, swimming takes the pressure off the nerve.
• Try alternative therapies, such as acupuncture, chiropractic treatment, and massage therapy. Be sure to find practitioners who are experienced with treatment during pregnancy.
• Ask your caregiver which pain medication would be most effective and safest for you and in what doses.
• Ask your caregiver for a referral for physical therapy to build strength and good posture.

Sciatic pain usually goes away within a few months after the baby's birth. If yours doesn't, talk with your caregiver about possible underlying problems.

Lower back pain during pregnancy is very common. Read our article about the various types of lower back pain to learn what might be causing yours and how to deal with it.

Learn more:

How to get comfortable in bed when you're pregnant

Lightning crotch: Jolts to the pelvis during pregnancy

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Pregnancy symptoms you should never ignore

Lumbar radiculopathy, commonly called sciatica, is a term that describes symptoms of pain, numbness, and/or weakness that originate in the lower back and radiate along the sciatic nerve into the buttock, thigh, and leg, sometimes including the foot. Sciatica is uncommon in pregnancy and usually does not occur as a result of the growing fetus or bodily changes that take place at the time. However, the symptoms may be experienced due to other underlying medical conditions.

Sciatica pain is fairly common during pregnancy. Watch: Sciatica Causes and Symptoms Video

Read on to learn how sciatica may occur in pregnancy, common types of pregnancy-related pain that may mimic sciatica, and tips for effective sciatica relief while pregnant.

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Symptoms of sciatica

Sciatica is typically characterized by a shooting, searing pain that travels down the buttock into the thigh and leg, sometimes including the foot. The symptoms almost always occur on one side at a time. The affected leg may feel heavy and weak.

Read more about Sciatica Symptoms

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When a pregnant woman experiences sciatica, it is most likely due to a herniated disc in her lower spine that affects the spinal nerve roots. This occurrence is rare and may take place in one in 10,000 (less than 1%) pregnancies.1

While a herniated disc itself may not develop because of the pregnancy, research suggests that this condition is higher in pregnant women above 30 years of age,1 which is a common age group for herniated disc problems.2

See Lumbar Herniated Disc: Causes and Risk Factors

Posterior pelvic pain may mimic sciatica in pregnancy

A common type of pregnancy-related pain—posterior pelvic pain (pelvic girdle pain) may cause symptoms that are similar to sciatica. Posterior pelvic pain is common during pregnancy and may affect up to 76% of pregnant women. This pain may also be experienced up to 2 years after childbirth in 5% to 8.5% of new mothers.3

• In posterior pelvic pain, a stabbing, dull, shooting, and/or burning pain may be felt in the posterior pelvic area.
• The pain may extend into the buttock and radiate to the groin and back of the thigh.
• This pain, unlike sciatica, is often impossible to locate precisely and may change in type or area(s) affected as the pregnancy progresses.3

The exact cause of posterior pelvic pain is not well understood and the pain may result due to hormonal, metabolic, or other biomechanical changes that occur during pregnancy.

Tips to relieve sciatica during pregnancy

Several home treatments can help relieve sciatica symptoms while pregnant. As a general rule, any new treatment, including oral or topical medication, must be discussed with a doctor before use to reduce the risk of side effects to the growing fetus.

Use heat and ice therapy

When sciatica is acute, ice therapy may help numb the pain and relieve symptoms immediately. Ice therapy works by decreasing pain signals and reducing blood flow and helps relieve inflammation.

For chronic or recurring sciatica, try heat therapy. Application of heat helps dilate blood vessels, improve blood and nutrient flow, and reduce muscular soreness, aiding in the healing process.

See Should I Use Ice or Heat for My Lower Back Pain?

Perform pregnancy-safe stretches and exercises

Several stretching and strengthening exercises are safe to perform during pregnancy. Talk to your physical therapist or doctor about starting a home-based exercise program appropriate for your stage of pregnancy.

Exercise helps promote and support proper posture, which is essential to avoiding unnecessary stress to your lower back.

Watch Video: 3 Easy Exercises for Back Pain in Pregnancy

Go for short walks

Walking short distances may improve function and stability in the lower back. The compressive forces that occur on the spinal discs while walking may help supply nutritive fluids to these structures.4

If you’re new to walking or any exercise, start with 5 minutes and gradually add 5 to 10 minutes each week, as tolerated. It is important to keep hydrated and prevent overexertion, which can lead to complications. Cycling, stair steppers, ellipticals, swimming, aerobic dance, and yoga are other safe exercise options when performed under the guidance of a medical professional.5

See 2 Walking Tips to Avoid Sciatica Pain

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Fewer than 2% of pregnant women with herniated discs may develop cauda equina syndrome, a medical emergency that causes severe neurological deficits.1 Common symptoms of cauda equina syndrome include severe weakness and numbness in both legs, loss of sensation in the groin and pubic area, and decreased or complete loss of bowel and/or bladder movements.1 Cauda equina syndrome must be treated immediately to preserve leg function.

See When Sciatica Pain Is a Medical Emergency

Sciatica and back pain symptoms should always be addressed as quickly as possible and managed throughout the course of pregnancy. While sciatica is not a common occurrence in pregnant women, it is possible, and a good understanding of the underlying cause can help manage the symptoms and prevent recurrences.

Learn more:

Management of Back Pain in Pregnancy

Sciatica Exercises for Sciatica Pain Relief