If your back pain during pregnancy is getting severe or disturbing, please get yourself evaluated by a gynaecologist before making a diagnosis of sciatica or taking any treatment for it.

What is Sciatica? Sciatica or “lumbar radiculopathy” is a common type of neuralgia, i.e. nerve-related pain that results from the irritation, inflammation, injury or compression in your body, which originates from the lower spine just behind the uterus and runs into the buttocks and down the back of your legs up to your feet. It is critical to providing motor, i.e. movement-related and sensory function to your lower body and legs.

Symptoms Of Sciatica

The classic telltale symptom of sciatica is radiating pain that starts in the lower back, hips, or buttocks and shoots down the thighs, going up to the feet and toes. The pain may be one-sided or bilateral and ranges from mild to severe to excruciating and even debilitating. Some other symptoms of sciatica are a burning sensation in the lower back and buttocks, a sudden jolt of pain that’s often compared to an electric shock running down the leg, tingling/numbness in the legs or feet, tenderness in the lower back, pain that worsens when you cough, sneeze or sit for long periods and in advanced stages numbness and even muscle weakness in the leg or foot.

Sciatica Causes And Risk Factors

A herniated disc is the most common cause, but other causes include degenerative disc disease, bony spurs in the spine, spondylolisthesis, lumbar spinal stenosis, osteoarthritis, injury, PREGNANCY, etc. Risk factors include ageing, diabetes, high BMI (overweight/obese), sedentary lifestyle, smoking, weak core muscles, desk jobs requiring prolonged sitting, endometriosis, osteoporosis, physical inactivity, etc.

Other Conditions Causing Low Back Pain In Pregnancy

Low back pain is a widespread complaint of pregnancy. Many other conditions present with low back pain, and some of these can be dangerous too, e.g. placental abruption, miscarriage, pre-term labour, ovarian cysts, etc. Hence, any back pain in pregnancy needs to be evaluated by a gynaecologist, and all other causes should be ruled out before being labelled as sciatica.

Course And Impact Of Sciatica On Pregnancy

Sciatica does cause significant suffering and restriction during pregnancy, mainly if it is severe. Fortunately, most cases are not severe and resolve spontaneously after delivery. During pregnancy, supportive measures and short-term pharmacotherapy are usually what is needed. Very rarely is any intervention, e.g. nerve block or epidural, required during pregnancy. But most importantly, sciatica does not affect your baby in any way.

(This article has been verified by Mohammed Afzal Siddiqui, Consultant – Obstetrics And Gynaecology, Manipal Hospital Goa).