Question re. sciatic nerve???

[*Shan*]

Hi girls,

I just have a question regarding a friend of mine who is 34wks pg. She has been having a lot of trouble the last few weeks with pain at the top of her bottom. She says it's her sciatic nerve playing up, and what i was wondering, is if any of you have had similar things.

I just want to be able to help her out a bit, to help ease it. She saw her Gp yesterday and he recommended physiotherepy, but as i don't know a lot about it, i don't know if there is anything i can do to help her.

She's having trouble even sitting down, and someone said to her to get down on all fours on the floor, which she did, but she had trouble getting back up again...I assume that the baby is just sitting against it, but not too sure..

Thanks heaps.

[christy]

Thats it, the baby is push on that nerve causing all sorts of pain. Physiotherapy is what I do to help relieve it but unfortunately there is not alot more you can do for it. Getting down is relieving for that moment, but then when you try to get back up it hurts again.

[*Shan*]

Thanks girls...you're wonderful...i knew i could count on you for info...xxx

[*Rae*]

Shan - just wanted to wish ur friend all the best...and hope her discomfort ceases asap

[Marcia]

I had it all through my pregnancy with DS and for a long time afterwards too. I finally went to a chiropractor when my son was 18 months old (wish I hadn't left it this long in hindsight). Anyway he explained that there were three things that can cause sciatic pain, and I had all three LOL! Sorry can't remember exactly what the 3 things were, but the most of my problem was a misalligned pelvis, which he treated over about a 2 month period. I can happily say that for the last 6 months I haven't had any sciatic pain at all, however I have had the odd twinge lately, and will be going back for a tune-up so to speak lol. I found the chiropractic work excellent, and lessened the pain immediately even after the first treatment. Also worth mentioning is that the chiropractor told me that my misalligned pelvis probably contributed to the difficult birth I experienced with my son. HTH!

[sasha]

I wonder if that's my problem? I'm going to the doctor tomorrow anyway and will talk to her about it. I mean, obviously I'm not far enough along for the baby to be pushing on much at all, but I do have scoliosis, so wondered if that had something to do with it? I've been in agony today... heat pack and a nap helped - a physio gave me a hint that if you lie on your side with your knees bent and a pillow between them it helps - seemed to give some relief earlier anyway.

I hope this isn't a sign of things to come! Back pain at 10 weeks - I wasn't expecting that so early!!

[*Shan*]

Thanks Girls. My friend is off to see a physio tomorrow, so hopefully he can fix her up. She's had constant headaches that panadol won't fix for the last week, and because of her sciatica, hasn't been sleeping at all, and is making things worse. She ended up going up to the hospital on Saturday night to see if she could get some sleeping pills or some stronger pain relief, but there were no midwives on, so they couldn't help her. She was feeling a bit better yesterday, but i think was going to go and see the doc today just to make sure...

Thanks again for all your help...xxx