update: Sciatica

Sazhrah · December 2010

Saw massage therapist and doctor. I have a possible bulging L3, L4 or L5 disk due to my deep arch in my lower back which is causing me miserable pain in my lower back and left hip down my left leg to knee. It isn't confirmed since i can't have an xray. I will be going to physical therapy and message therapy every week for the rest of my pregnancy to help manage it. I also have sciatica on my right side (hip/butt) that is causing me a different kind of pain and not much i can do about it while pregnant.

This does reduce my vbac possibility by 50% due to the pain. everyone says they will do what they can but the pressure of the growing baby and the way my body is built I will just deal with more pain as i go on. I didn't see my regular doctor today but the one i did see was extremely helpful and warm. She took me very seriously (unlike my last pregnancy where i just dealt with all of it not knowing exactly what was wrong and ended up with a c/s a week early because of the pain) which made me feel better and prove to DH I am not making it up.

i am very hormonal and in pain right now (bed ridden for the majority of the past 2 days). I really could use some words of encouragement.

JoelsGirl07 · December 2010

Did they recommend a support belt? You are still really early...it's going to be a long haul if they can't get you comfy.....what about cortisone shots or something?

I am so, so sorry about this.....although I would still consult a chiro, just to see what they say.

Sazhrah · December 2010

this coming on so early is a bit of a shock. last time it hit around 5 months.

I haven't asked about shots yet. i want to try the massage and physical therapy to see how that goes. I plan on being a lot more vocal about my pain this time around. I think i just may see a chiro as long as it doesn't interfere with the therapy. sorry to rant. just a very emotional day.

papagena · December 2010

I would definitely encourage you to see a chiro and see what they say - I'd bet they'd be encouraging of doing it with the massage therapy (I think mine would, at least, and even our last one encouraged massage therapy for DH who has some fairly bad back pain). I don't have as much experience with combining it with the physical therapy, but I don't think that'd be an issue, either. I actually found my current chiro through my doula, perhaps you can find a suggestion through your birth community or massage therapist.

JoelsGirl07 · December 2010

And you also might consider having them order you an MRI (which IS safe in pregnancy...as long as you can be near a giant magnet) so that they can really give youa definitive diagnosis. You're still early, so you'd be able to lay down for it and still breathe....

jen5-03 · December 2010

I've been to both physical therapists and chiropractor for back pain - I much prefer the chiropractor. (I did not do PT while pg, but I did do chiro while pg.) They both gave me the same stretches and exercises for fixing it long term. But in the short term I always felt worse after leaving PT and better leaving the chiro. And the chiro makes me better in about a week. PT took a good 6 weeks before I had any relief. Long-term it didn't stay fixed with either one, but that's because I eventually slack off on the stretches and exercises, not their fault.

swimming47 · December 2010

I would also suggest a chiro. I have been having horrible sciatica pain for the past 2 months and finally sucked it up and went to the chiro a week and a half ago and am feeling much better. He even said that massage therapy in combo with chiro would also help

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