Sciatica ! Help

[LaurenH0893]

Hi,

I'm 21 weeks pregnant & suffering from horrible crippling sciatica

I had a Microdiscectomy in November 21 for l4/l5 large prolapsed disc - successful until1st flair up in Jan 22 after sitting for too long on days off over Xmas / new year.
Fell pregnant soon after surgery & now I'm 21 weeks & after a bad bout of sickness & resting for again 2 days it is back with a vengeance.
Spent the past 12 hours in a&e in cropping pain & there is nothing they can do for me except Co-codamol !
Having had this for over a year now I know co-codamol doesn't touch the pain - it's the anti inflammatory I need, which I know I can't have being pregnant.

Had anyone had any success treating sciatica in pregnancy with a different method ?
Looking at acupuncture, chiro, physio etc. where is the best place to start that will make the most difference.
I don't have a lot of money so can't go forking out for them all ! Especially for them not to work.
Please help ! I'm in crippling pain, I have a 3 year old to look after a full time job & really suffering 😭
Thank you.

I went to a physio (was lucky to have insurance through work that covered it, but I don’t think it was extortionate to pay myself) and he was excellent. The pain was essentially gone within 3 sessions, and I was really lazy with doing the recommended exercises… I requested a specialist in antenatal though. Hope you can get some relief :(

I have insurance through work too which is why I get my surgery so quick & private.

I am going to ring them tomorrow & ask if I can use any physio / chiro / acupuncture & claim it back.

Fingers crossed I can & it will sort me out !

The physio after surgery was utter useless ... which is why I haven't bothered looking into it more. But worth a go ... would try anything at this point !

Definitely physio, I also get mine through work, I've had sciatica on an off for years and have always used the physio for it, will be doing the same if it gets bad during pregnancy

I was able to see an antenatal physio through my GP, it was amazing and I went from having to hold on to furniture just so I could drag myself around the house as it was so painful to virtually no back pain bar the usual stiffness in late pregnancy. At 40 weeks I was still quite happily bounding around, whereas in my first trimester I could hardly walk.

I had really painful sciatica since about 32 weeks and I went swimming with my little boy a couple of weeks ago and it really helped! I’m not a good swimmer just did my normal head above the water thing. But it’s not been as bad since.

Definitely engage with ante natal physio - they see a lot of it! I did very gentle yoga, walked miles and I mean miles and applied heat (not too hot). I still use these methods post pregnancy - be aware of your posture - i know due to mild scoliosis i tend to overcompensate - physio said it is quite common.

I’m the same gestation and Ive had it all pregnancy this time. Pregnancy yoga is helping a lot, and some physio, but more than anything just using a regular pillow between my knees if sleeping on my side of under my knees if on my back is making a huge difference. Such a small thing but it’s saving me. I still get twinges of pain if I move too fast from bent over to straight, but I can finally walk pain free which is so nice. Someone recommended a belly band too to take pressure off the spine, which might be worth a shot. Good luck and I hope it gets better!

Hello everyone. I’m new here so I’ll give a quick back story.

ive 2 children both girls. After my second daughter I was diagnosed with an under active thyroid. 2 years later I started a new job in a local pub, that’s when the sciatica started (oct/nov) it was manageable then it got so bad I couldn’t walk or even hang the washing out. I would cling to anything around me to help me move. I went to a&e as I developed a dent in my thigh which threw me into a huge panic. (Hypochondriac) thinking all kinds. 2 doctors reassured me it was nothing but they got me an app for an MRI to check my spine. I’m slowly getting better. I’m able to go on bike rides and walk more then I have been able to in months. But my anxiety is crippling me- I keep thinking this is some awful cancer or a tumor that’s pressing in the nerve. I’ve told my doc of my worries and she’s reassured me none of my symptoms are red flags. But I can’t shake this feeling. The pain seems to move also- so it can be in my bum really bad but now it’s in my hip/ outer thigh and down my leg. On a morning it’s not to bad until I’m up and about walking I can feel it coming on but it never really goes away. Can anyone give me any kind of reassurance or even their own story on sciatica and recovery. I’m sorry for the extra long post I just need someone to talk to

@LaurenH0893

I was crippled with sciatica pain from around 18 weeks and found this video - honestly, the pain relief was instant for me and it kept it away for weeks, until I needed a top up.

I tried everything with post partum sciatica…nothing touched it until I had acupuncture. It was gone within a week. Honestly I was sceptical but at that point would of tried anything. I’m such a convert.