PhysioActive SG - Physiotherapist During Pregnancy

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2. 2 Sciatica Pain During Pregnancy: Natural Ways to Get Over It When you are expecting a baby, there are tonnes of ailments that can make it hard to go about your day. Your body is changing rapidly making it impossible to adapt to the new situation without getting heartburn, swollen ankles, and insomnia every once in a while. It's as if this isn'tbadenoughperse,somewomenexperiencesciatica pain,whichcanmakeevenwalkingachallenge.Whatare some medicine-free ways to control this and make pregnancymorebearable?Let'sdigintothematter.

3. 3 What Is Sciatica and Who Does It Affect? This is a type of burning pain that occurs in the back and can travel from the hips to the feet. It usually affects one side of the body. The main culprit is the sciatic nerve. Being the longest and largest one in the human physical structure, it runs from the sacral and lumbar plexuses to the thighs, through the buttocks, connecting them to the spinal cord. Its main function is to send signals to and from the feet, lower legs, and thighs, using the skin and muscles. This explains why the sciatic pain can span acrossmultiplepartsofthebody. The problem affects people of all ages,butofcourse,somearemore impacted than others. That being said, the older you get, the greater the likelihood of getting the symptoms. In general, the intervertebral disc begins to degenerate and lose resilience around the age of 30, which means if you are older than that, you are already running some risk. It is important to acknowledge that sports activities and work increase the chances of injury. Hence, the people that are most vulnerable to this kind of pain are those between 30and50. Having a sedentary lifestyle might add to the problem too. Lack of physical activity, a couch-potato behaviour, lots of driving, or working at a computer - all these can lead to a compressed or pinchednerveinthebody. Now is the best time to point out that sciatica is not a disease or diagnosis. It describes a combination of symptoms that ariseasaresultofnervedamage.

4. 4 How to Recognise the Signs? The symptoms of sciatica, or rather the way it manifests itself, are: Tingling or burning down one leg Lower back pain Constant pain on one side of the body Pins and needles Numbness or weakness in one foot or leg Difficulty moving one foot or leg Shooting pain in any of the abovementioned parts of the body, which usually makes standing up a real challenge Hip pain

5. 5 What Causes Sciatica Pain and How Is It Diagnosed? Common causes of sciatica include: To find out what is causing the ? Piriformis syndrome. It is characterised by pain in the buttocks and hips that arises due to an irritated piriformismuscle. symptoms, you need to get an actual physical exam. Your doctor will assign ? Spinaldischerniation.Thisonehappenswhenthe ring of an intervertebral disc tears down causing the soft gel-like substance inside to protrude out of it.Inmostcases,itirritatestheL5-S1nerveroots. a series of tests such as an X-ray, MRI or CT. But then again, if you are ? Spondylolisthesis.Thisconditionoccurswhenone ofthespinalbonesmovesoutofalignment.Itdoes not always cause any symptoms but when it does, itcanmanifestitselfasmildtoseverelegpain. pregnant, none of this will be a good idea. Talk to your healthcare provider ? Spinalstenosis.Thisiswhenthespaceswithinthe spine get narrower, leaving insufficient room for the nerves. It is most common in the neck and lowerback. aboutit.

6. 6 Why Does It Happen to Pregnant Women? Aswealreadysaid,thisnerveisthelargestoneinthebody.Sinceitsitsbelowthe uterus, it can get irritated or compressed by the baby itself. The fact that your posture will change throughout the months, forced by the growing bump, also playsapart.

7. 7 How to Treat Sciatica Pain During Pregnancy Without Medication Expecting mothers can go for a number of methods for sciatic nerve pain relief that do not involvetheuseofanti-inflammatorydrugs. Physical therapy (by ).This is a term that covers a range of treatments to use for different ailments and medical conditions. It can include anything from core-strengthening exercises to osteopathy. The way it helps people with realigning the muscles and joints, improving blood flow, and reducing inflammation. A physical therapist can suggest the right type of physical activity for you and walk you through the process. In addition, they can work with you individually to make sure you are doing the movements in asafefashion. Prenatal yoga. Yoga is a well-known practice that can reduce weight, enhance energy and respiration, maintain a good metabolism, increase flexibility, and protect from injury. Furthermore, it is linked to improved athletic performance and cardio health. Implementing the right poses into your regimen can be of great help when it comes to alleviating sciatica pain. Needless to say, you should do this under the guidance of a professional. During pregnancy, your ligaments loosen and it can be dangerous to perform somepostures. Acupuncture. A dominant factor in Chinese medicine, acupuncture is not based on science. It soothes pain by producing endorphins and is actuallysafetouseduringpregnancy. Many moms-to-be are reluctant to take medicine for minor ailments and instead seek more baby-friendly methods. Contrary to what most people think, the treatment is not painful. At the very least you may experience a dull ache at the site of the inserted needle. Tingling is also possible. Things can get a little bit more intense at the fingers and toes but the unpleasant sensation is likely tobeshort-lived. PhysioActive Singapore is by sciatica symptoms

8. 8 What are Some Good Stretching Exercises That Can Help? Lunge. Kneel on the floor. Move one foot forward trying to create a 90-degree angle. Now, lean forward and make sure you shift the weight from your torso to yourfrontleg.Whenyoufeelastretchinyourthighand hip, hold the position for a few seconds. Repeat on the otherside. Bridge. Lie on your back and bend your knees. Keep your arms straight. Your feet should be positioned hip- width apart and flat on the ground. As you breathe in, begintomoveyourlowerbackoffthefloor.Thenmove on to your hips and back until you've lifted off your entire back from the yoga mat. Make sure you keep a neutral spine. Hold for a while. As you breathe out, graduallymoveintothestartingposition.Repeatafew times. Beforeyoubeginanyofthesestretches,ensurethatyouget a yoga mat or something of the same calibre. It will keep your body(feet and hands)from slipping.The last thingyou wantistogethurtwhiletryingtomakeyourselffeelbetter. Child's pose. Get on all fours. Your knees should be under your hips. Ensure that your toes are touching one another. As you breathe in, slide your belly between your knees. With arms outstretched, your butt should come closer to your heels and your foreheadshouldbeontheground.Ifyoucan'tgetyour head to touch the ground, put a pillow below it. Don't carry it too far, you don't want to hurt yourself or your baby.Holdthepositionforacoupleofbreaths. Cat-cow. Get on all fours, making sure your hips are over the knees and your shoulders over the wrists. Arch your back and drop your belly. Your shoulders shouldberolledback.Thenasyouexhale,hunchover yourbacklikeacat.Repeatafewtimes.

9. 9 What Is the Best Sleeping Position for Sciatica? Ifyoucanmakeafewadjustments,almostallsleepstrategieswillworkforyou.Forinstance,slumberingonyour back is a great choice but it is important to put a pillow beneath your knees.That way you will keep the spine's natural curveinplace.Withoutadditionalsupport,yourbackmightbeexposedtomorepainthanusual.Keepinmindthatthis positionisnotthebestforpeoplewithsleepapnoea. Now, what about those side sleepers? They could try tucking a pillow between the legs. This will help keep the entire spine in a neutral position. By adding support, the body is not likely to twist as much as it does when rolling the legforwardtositonthebed. Without a doubt, the worst position is sleeping on your stomach but considering you're growing a baby inside of you, that's not even an option right now. Yet, in case you are wondering why this isn't a good idea in general, let us clarify. It just works against gravity, causing your back to stay extended and arch in an unusual way. This can worsen thepainsignificantly.

10. 10 Pregnancy and sciatica should not go together but, alas, we don't have control over these things, do we? What matters is that there are certain steps to take to make the process a little bit less daunting for you. It is best to consult a specialist about it but it doesn't hurt to try a few tricks at home. Now, if the pain is severe and those tips are of no use, there is still the hope that once you deliver, things will go back to normal, Pregnancy might last a long period but it's going to be over one day. And when the baby is born, the pressure on the nerves will eventually be relieved. Final Thoughts

11. 11 Physio Active Singapore +65 6235 2647 Orchard Branch at Camden Medical Centre #11-05 Singapore 248649 www.physioactive.sg For more info about Sciatica visit: http://www.physioactive.sg/our-services/common-conditions/back-injuries/