[Carlito's_wife]

Ugh! I have always had problems with this whenever I am pregnant or just gain weight. But this time around it is litteraly unbearable. I don't just feel the shooting pain when I am walking around, but even just sitting still on the couch can put me into the type of pain to make me cry. It is just getting worse and worse and I am scared I am not even going to be able to make it to appointments and things like that because I am just going to have to lay in bed.

Does anyone know of anything I can do to relieve the pain? I have been using a heating pad but just did some research on the internet and it seems I should be using cold instead of heat.

 

[AuntieLiz]

Do you have access to a TENS unit? That's what I use when there's no other way to get around. It doesn't solve the problem, but it takes the edge off the pain so I can at least walk. I've also been seeing a chiropractor regularly and that has helped a lot. My midwife highly recommends massage therapy, but that can get expensive (although it feels divine). On days when my sciatica gets particularly bad, I alternate between heating pads and ice packs, and I have my husband do lots of counter-pressure on the area. Earlier in my pregnancy, a hot bath was nice, but these days I can't maneuver myself in and out of our little bathtub, and the weather is too hot to even entertain the thought of a warm bath. Perhaps a hot shower? I wish I knew how to get rid of the sciatica altogether; I've been told that it will resolve after the birth, but that seems like ages when I'm suffering. I feel your pain, Mama! Hang in there.

 

[Pookietooth]

Have you had chiropractic? Also, physical therapy can help. You have something out of alignment and it probably would feel a lot better if you got your bones and muscles back into place.