Sciatic Nerve

[ashymae]

I am having dreaded sciatic nerve pain. I am 24 weeks along and a runner. Anyone find anything to help this pain?

My sister had this very badly with two of hers. Would keep her near immobile. I havent developed it myself. I know she used arnica gel and she felt it helped...

i have sciatica. it affects my right leg/bum and hip. I have been seeing a phyisio to help with this. They have given me a few positions to try and a support belt. Ask your mw to refer you. One position is lie on your good side with goodleg straight. bring the other leg up as high as u can rested on pillows so it is same hight as your hip. and stay as long as u cantollerate it. Also sitting on a excersize ball and just bouncing helps apparently.. I hope it imporves for you soon

Oh golly I am a bit of an expert on sciatica - I developed it the month BEFORE I got pregnant, and am now 27 weeks and still have it. Basically it won't get much better until after the baby is born when I can have a steroid injection, anti-inflams etc but I have tried everything and here is what has and hasn't worked for me:
osteopathy - moderate success, but would make it feel worse for a few days after
chiro - some success, expensive though and not so brilliant that it is necessarily worth the money I think
Physio - I had a rubbish physio who did nothing for me but I have an appointment with a new one this afternoon so I cross my fingers
Swimming - helped in the sense that I could do the physio exercises better in the water
Heat - helps, but make sure hot water bottle not too hot. I got second degree burns because I fell asleep
Ice - helps, I sit on an ice pack when I get home from work
Posture - sit as upright as you can. use cushions at work and in the car. Don't tilt your pelvis.
paracetamol - hmmm takes the edge off. ask doc for cocodamol for when it is bad
fit flops - have helped a lot I think, certainly since I got them my sciatica has got a bit better
trigger point injections - i have these every few weeks at the pain clinic at the hospital. Moderate success - would love the steroid though!
Pillows - second the sleeping advice. I have a really long pillow that I sleep 'hugging' and that seems to help. I 'bulk up' with pillows behind me so I don't roll in the night.

All in all, my sciatica is about 50 % better than it was at the start... so try all the above and see what works!

Told you I was an expert!!! Good luck!!!

Hi all,
I had terrible Sciatica with my last pregnancy 4 years ago - and still have it - was hoping that once I had given birth it would disappear! it is not as bad as when I was pg but still there.
the only thing that has worked for me was accupunture - don't know how it works but it does - u may need to go for a few sessions but its definately worth it.
hope this helps someone

I guess, reading the comments above different things seem to work for different people. All I can tell you is what worked for me. I went to see a chiropractor and she worked wonders for my sciatica. That was with my first pregnancy. In my second pregnancy I was told I had SPD. I booked an appointment with her again and it turned out I didn't have SPD but that my pelvis was out. She corrected it and I carried on running and taking part in classes like 'body combat' right up to 38weeks. I don't know if it makes any difference but mine used a technique called McTimoney method. It is really gentle and is just like being flicked!!! To get rid of the sciatica in my first pregnancy took two sessions (although 2nd session was on my insistence as I couldn't believe it had gone so quickly) and cost me about £50. Good luck!