Help with sciatica- can barely walk!

[biscuit13]

Only 17 weeks pregnant and I've got really bad sciatica, I can't bend or put weight through my left leg without being in agony! I literally have to use different pieces of furniture to help me move around my flat (thank god I've not got stairs!)
It tends to ease off a bit after moving around for a while. But it's really started to get to me, its constant from when I get up to when I got to bed.
I've tried stretches, gentle exercise, ice pack, husband to massage, but nothing is easing it at all?
Please any suggestions from anyone who has also suffered. I'm scared it's only going to get worse as pregnancy progresses.

I’d recommend seeing an osteopath if you can find one open in your area. They helped with sciatica and pelvic pain in my last pregnancy and current one!

Sorry to hear this! I had the same with my first pregnancy, my midwife referred me to a physio therapist and it honestly worked wonders! She basically pulled my left side back up as I had just dipped into my hip hitting my nerve. She also gave me some great exercise's to do at home and luckily I didn't have to go back.

Hopefully it's sorted for you soon, I can really empathise it's so painful 😣

Osteopaths should be open now...it was honestly the best £140 I've ever spent (3 sessions)...my last appointment was mid March before lockdown and currently 39+2 and just starting to get more constant niggles but have mostly been able to massage anything out myself after a warm bath and applying a hot water bottle to the area before using a massage ball.

Try MUTU mamas. It's about £70 (use discount code Embrace15) but has helped me so so much within a day of starting the exercises. They are entirely designed for pregnant women and mothers. I was doing other gentle yoga and pilates before and I now think I was making it worse. I was exactly as you describe, hanging onto furniture to get around. Mutu will really help your core muscles and lower back - safely.

Thank you everyone, I will have a look and see if there is an osteopath or physio open near me.

Some great suggestions. @biscuit13 I’m only 14 weeks and I’ve been struggling with the pain too, I couldn’t even sit down. Hopefully we get some relief.

@newmummyxx I hope we do! I was looking forward to enjoying 2nd trimester.... just got rid of the nausea and now it's this 🤦🏻‍♀️

Try and stretch your piriformis. Look up how to stretch online. That muscle is often tight and makes sciatica worse.

Are your hips in pain? I had sciatica and SPD.

Fingers crossed. I’m totally with you on enjoying the second trimester, instead I’m scared of bending down or rolling on to my bad side when I’m sleeping. .

@gluteustothemaximus yes I have, I've used a foam roller aswell. I'm a PT so I've tried everything I can think of! Also another issue is that I have hypermobility so I'm flexible anyway plus now I'm looser from the hormones so I dont actually feel the stretches?! And I cant bend any more because I feel like I'm squashing baby against my bladder and it feels uncomfortable. So im stuck?!
Hips dont hurt, I sleep on my side with a pillow between my knees. But I do have to keep changing because it gets uncomfortable after a while.

@newmummyxx I know! I'm scared of bending down and then I cant stand back up again 🙈 I'm trying to squat down instead.

Hi I'm not pregnant but have really bad sciatica on about day 14 now but has got easier with rolling a tennis ball on leg for 5 mins each hour
It was so bad ended up I'll n a&e and put on morphine

My GP prescribed diazepam to me for sciatica when I was 8 weeks pregnant - I was a bit uneasy about it but it took the pain away completely after the first night.

@biscuit13 It’s so difficult. I’ve just tried a heat pack for the first time just before, not sure if it’s actually made a difference but it feels great.

Sorry OP Mutu is not for during pregnancy at all! My mistake!

Sorry OP Mutu is not for during pregnancy at all! My mistake!