If you are pregnant and experiencing sciatica pain, did you know that going to see a chiropractor can be beneficial in bringing relief to your symptoms of discomfort?

In this article, we will explore just how chiropractic care and adjustments can be helpful for sciatica during pregnancy: how many sessions might be recommended, what it could cost, as well as, other holistic therapies that can be used to treat sciatica during pregnancy.

Chiropractic Care: A Safe, Drug-Free Solution to Your Pain

Chiropractic is a drug-free non-invasive procedure; it is an alternative remedy to the mainstream medical model, and it is safe during pregnancy.

This therapy has emerged as the leading alternative medical approach in the world, primarily because, it is a non-surgical, drug-free, and non-invasive procedure, used to address the underlying cause of sciatica rather than just treating the symptoms.

There are no two cases exactly the same, but many patients experience relief after a couple of chiropractic sessions. Others require regular, ongoing maintenance to help balance their spinal instabilities.

How Can Chiropractic Care Help with Sciatic Nerve Problems During Pregnancy?

The core of chiropractic treatments involve spinal adjustments. Through manipulation and unblocking of restricted movement in the spine, misaligned vertebral bodies (subluxation) are corrected and returned to their natural position in the spinal column.

The spinal adjustments also help reduce nerve irritability, which causes inflammation, pain, muscle spasm, and other symptoms, related to sciatica. The adjustments are painless, and spinal manipulation is safe and effective.

Chiropractors are adept at many adjustment techniques, allowing them to treat many types of subluxations and disorders. Some techniques involve a swift high-velocity thrust, while others might combine minimal force and gentle pressure. These techniques require precision and great skill. Spinal manipulation is the technique that differentiates chiropractic care from other medical disciplines.

The purpose of chiropractic care is to stimulate your body to heal itself. The process is based on the scientific principle that restricted spinal movement often leads to reduced function and performance, and ultimately, pain. Chiropractic care is a non-invasive, non-surgical and drug-free procedure.

The choice of chiropractic therapy administered by your practitioner will depend on the cause of your sciatica.

How Many Sessions Are Often Recommended?

Many pregnant women often inquire as to the number of sessions required. While the number of sessions needed is subjective, patients can be grouped into either of the following two categories, which will determine the number of sessions:

  1. Patients with an acute problem

  2. Patients with a chronic problem

Your chiropractor will determine the number of sessions, the techniques to use, and the length of time required, based on your sciatica condition.

3 Phases of Recommended Care

  1. The first phase: Ease the immediate pain

  2. The second phase: Prescribe exercises and correct dysfunction. This will make you more mobile, comfortable, and flexible - and will also correct lifestyle habits ,which may be the cause.

  3. The third phase: Provide rehabilitation to prevent future injury. Exercises are tailored to correct imbalances and to ensure the pain ( and associated symptoms) stay away as long as possible.

Unfortunately, some patients tend to leave after phase one. The pain is gone temporarily because the inflammation has been reduced. Meanwhile, without the other recommended phases, the original joint/muscle problem is not resolved. In time, the pain will come back, as no lifestyle changes have been made nor has the problem really been remedied.

Leaving prematurely without addressing the root cause will only lead to more frequent visits in the future.

If you go through the recommended phases of care and effectively root out the cause of the pain, it is still advisable for you to go for a checkup and adjustment every six months to keep an eye on things.

What Will It Cost?

The average price per session in the country is $35-$250. When pregnant, you will want to discuss if the practitioner has prenatal experience or training. This factor may make their rate slightly higher than the average in your particular city. It is also important to note that some practitioners may offer discounts or packages for prenatal care treatments. For more information, read: How Much Does Chiropractic Therapy Cost?

3 Other Primary Holistic Therapies for Sciatica During Pregnancy

Here is a list of three primary holistic therapies for sciatica during pregnancy:

  1. Ice/Cold therapy

This is used to reduce inflammation and to control the sciatic pain.

  1. Ultrasound

This therapy uses gentle heat produced by sound waves that penetrate into body tissues, such as, the muscles. Ultrasound waves stimulate circulation and help reduce sciatic pain, stiffness, swelling, cramping, and spasms.

  1. TENS unit (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation)

This is a box-like, portable machine, powered by a battery, that stimulates muscles. It uses variable intensities of electrical current to control muscle spasms and acute pain. The larger versions of this portable TENS units are used by physical therapists, chiropractors, and other rehabilitation professionals.

3 Other Therapies That Can be Helpful

Here is a list of three other therapies that can also be beneficial for pregnancy sciatica:

  1. Hypnotherapy

  2. Acupuncture

  3. Craniosacral Therapy

References

Buijs, E., et.al. (2007). Sciatica and the sacroiliac joint: a forgotten concept. BJA: British Journal of Anaesthesia, Volume 99, Issue 5, Pages 713-716. Retrieved May 6, 2019, from https://doi.org/10.1093/bja/aem257

Ropper, A.H., Zafonte, R.D (2015). "Sciatica". The New England Journal of Medicine. 372 (13): 1240,8. doi:10.1056/NEJMra1410151. Retrieved May 6, 2019, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25806916

Sabino, J., & Grauer, J. N. (2008). Pregnancy and low back pain. Current reviews in musculoskeletal medicine, 1(2), 137-141. doi:10.1007/s12178-008-9021-8. Retrieved May 5, 2019, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19468887

Valat, J.P., Genevay, S., Marty, M., Rozenberg, S., Koes, B (2010). "Sciatica". Best Practice & Research. Clinical Rheumatology. 24 (2): 241,52. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20227645/