Lumboischialgia in pregnancy

General

Lumboischialgia (composed of lumbus = loin, sciatica = sciatic nerve, algia = pain) is a pain in the lumbar spine caused by irritation of the sciatic nerve.

Lumboischialgia is therefore a symptom and not an independent disease.

The pain usually radiates along the course of the nerves over the buttocks to the back of the thigh, and numbness or tingling may occur in the affected leg or foot.

Most often, a herniated disc (prolapse) of the lumbar spine or the protrusion of a disc (protrusion) of the lumbar spine is behind the symptoms.
The protruding disc presses on the nerves and causes the typical symptoms.

Other possible causes of lumbar sciatica are:

• Inflammation of the nerves
• Blockages in the spine area
• Herpes zoster virus infections (shingles)
• Bone tumors

Pregnancy as a trigger for lumbar sciatica

Lumboischialgia occurs particularly often during pregnancy. The reason for this is, on the one hand, an increased risk of disc problems in pregnant women, as the increased weight puts strain on the intervertebral discs.

Read more on this topic at: Herniated disc during pregnancy

On the other hand, the child growing in the abdomen displaces the organs and structures in the abdomen and pelvic area and can thus exert pressure on the sciatic nerve itself. In addition, the gluteal muscles are particularly stressed during pregnancy, as the body's center of gravity changes as the stomach grows and this is balanced out by the gluteal muscles. Since the sciatic nerve runs under the largest gluteal muscle, the increased mechanical stress can cause inflammation of the nerve and, as a result, lumbar sciatica.
Another common symptom is pain in the buttock. Read about this: Pain in the buttock during pregnancy

As a rule, the symptoms disappear after the child is born - nevertheless, lumbar sciatica should be treated during pregnancy, as pain emanating from a nerve can quickly become chronic.

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Treatment of lumbar sciatica during pregnancy

If tense or overworked gluteal muscles are causing back pain, heat can reduce the discomfort. Compresses, heat pillows, warm baths or red light applications are recommended.

Affected pregnant women should not take it easy:
Light massages and moderate sports such as targeted stretching exercises or Pregnancy gymnastics can help with lumbar sciatica.
Padding the lumbar vertebral area while sitting and a step position in which the legs are raised at right angles relieve the lumbar spine and can thus also help to relieve pain.

Acupuncture in Pregnancy

One method for treating lumbar sciatica is acupuncture. Acupuncture is part of traditional Chinese medicine. Several needles are inserted into specific points on the back and remain there for 20 to 30 minutes.
Various methods can be used for acupuncture due to lumbar sciatica during pregnancy. A distinction is made between acupuncture movement and conventional acupuncture. With movement acupuncture, a hip movement of around twenty minutes is performed after the needle has been inserted. With conventional acupuncture, no movement is made after the needle is inserted. However, certain acupuncture points should be avoided when using acupuncture during pregnancy. These points are generally known to trained acupuncturists.

Read more on the subject at: Acupuncture in Pregnancy

Manual therapy during pregnancy

The term manual therapy comes from the Latin word “manus” - the hand. It is therefore a form of treatment that is carried out exclusively using the hands. Manual therapies are intended to relieve entrapment, mostly in the area of ​​the spine, and thus relieve nerve irritation.
Manual therapy, for example in the form of massages, is permitted during pregnancy, but should only be carried out by a trained therapist, as certain types of treatment must be avoided during pregnancy. Particular care should be taken when adjusting vertebral bodies, as this may exert pressure on the uterus and thus the maturing embryo.

Therapy with heat

Heat treatment to eliminate lumbar sciatica is a recognized home remedy. The heat can reduce muscle pain and improve blood circulation. The pain relief removes the restriction of movement somewhat, so that the patient has more freedom of movement again.
Simple stretching exercises or general movement can therefore be performed better. These can help improve the symptoms of lumbar sciatica. The means of choice are simple heating pads or hot baths.
Particularly with hot baths, however, you should make sure that the bath is not too hot. This can lead to a general warming of the blood circulation between embryo and mother, which in a few cases can be harmful to the embryo. At a later stage, the heat can also induce labor. Heating pads should also not be placed directly on the stomach, but only in the area of ​​the back.

Osteopathy in Pregnancy

Osteopathy is a manual examination and treatment process. The focus of the treatment is on the musculoskeletal system, organs and tissues in the body.The task of an osteopath is to find movement restrictions in the body and then to look for the cause and work out treatment. The treatment is usually a solution of blockages and movement restrictions without resorting to equipment or medication.
Osteopathy is considered safe during pregnancy. However, strong osteopathic treatments that could potentially affect the child should not be used. An osteopathic therapy for lumbar sciatica is precisely adapted to this in the various phases of pregnancy.

General information can be found at: Osteopathy

Treatment of lumbar sciatica during pregnancy with medication

In principle, pregnant women should always ask their doctor for advice before taking any medication. Anti-inflammatory pain relievers (NSAIDs) such as Ibuprofen® or Diclofenac®, which are normally used for lumbar sciatica, may be used during the first two thirds of pregnancy. However, NSAIDs must not be used in late pregnancy, as this can damage the unborn child, inhibit labor and have a tendency to bleed during delivery.

If necessary, after consulting a doctor, cortisone may also be used. The active ingredient pregabalin (Lyrica®), which is used against nerve pain such as lumboischialgia, must not be taken due to insufficient experience in pregnancy.

Read more on the subject at: Cortisone in Pregnancy

Treatments such as periradicular therapy (PRT) or epidural infiltration, in which cortisone and local anesthetics are injected into the vertebral canal at the nerve root, are also not guaranteed to be safe and are therefore not usually carried out during pregnancy.