Severe lower back pain!?

[littlehiphuggers]

Hi group,

I'm approx 26 weeks, and having consistent pain with moving (bending, squatting, sitting, walking, shifting positions) for about a week now. It is on the left side, sort of at a joint where the buttocks and back meet. I searched and searched for info, I don't have the shooting pains as scatia indicates. This is my second pregnancy, I was at a normal weight beforehand and have gained 16lbs, so I'm not sure it could be weight related. Any info or knowledge would be greatly appreciated.
TIA!!!!
Autum

[TurboClaudia]

Any signs of bladder infection now or recently? It could be an infection that moved up to your kidney, which is not comfortable and potentially dangerous.

It could also be a misalignment in your spine or hips, and you might consider seeing a chiropractor to check and do an adjustment.

Those are the two things that come to my mind right now, but there might be others.

Hope you get it figured out soon!

warmly,
claudia

[becca011906]

it sounds to me like it's the sciatic nerve i've been having problems with mine since i was 20 weeks pregnant... i'm now 28 weeks and still having problems it's not daily but about 3-4 days out of the week and it usally last from the time i wake up to the time i go back to bed... it's a constain pain in my lower back near the butt on just one side. Ask your doc the next time you see them. if it is sciatic nerve not much can be done but heating pad or bottels, icing my feel better to some people and warm baths help me out!

[Jodie]

I get something similar to that mainly on my left side as well.
I went to the chiro at 18 weeks and I was out of wack in the hibs and lower back. I was adjusted and the discomfort went away for a while. I'm 24 weeks now and need to go back and get adjusted again(not as bad now as it was then). He recommended I come in once a month till the baby comes, just to keep everything in line and minimize discomfort. :thumb
So I guess I'm saying I would see a chiro if I were you. Mine is only $25 per visit and oh so worth it! Just my $.02

[KoalaMommy]

My sciatica didn't have shooting pains, just sharp pains when I moved. I learned a stretch that helped a lot, it has gone away entirely!

Lie on the edge of the couch on the side that doesn't hurt. Pull your knee on the side that does hurt up to the chest to stretch. Have DH apply pressure to the bottom of your foot to increase the stretch, and also have him support you knee.

I also learned to do this on my own by sliding further down the couch and using the arm or the couch instead of DH to increase the stretch.

Good luck!

[merino]

I just went to the chiropractor with the same complaint, and I was diagnosed with piriformis syndrome. The piriformis muscle runs from under your sacrum around to your hip. When it gets tight it causes lower back pain and can ultimately irritate the sciatic nerve. If you do a google search for "piriformis syndrome" you should find lots of info. Apparently it's quite common in pregnant women. I'll be seeing the chiro three times a week until it improves. Hope you find relief soon!

[Hera]

My guess, without being able to check you out, is that the relaxin hormone is doing a number on your hips. It affects the ligaments, which are normally pretty solid and not at all stretchy. They get all loose and the bones slip out of alignment slightly, and nearby muscles (like the piriformis) try to hold them in place and go into spasm as a result of doing the job that ligaments usually do.

If you can find yourself a chiropractor who knows how to work on pregnant women and who does massage as part of the session, that would probably help a lot. Regular prenatal massage would be good to calm those muscles, but without actually manipulating the bones. There are also stretches you can be doing, like sitting cross-legged with one leg on top of the other (half-lotus) and leaning forward....going to have to make sure there is belly room. If you experiment with that, you can probably find the position that stretches it the best.

I'm dealing with this too, it's a real pain in the ...