Low Back Exercises for Pregnant Women With Sciatica

Your sciatic nerve is the longest nerve in your body, running from your lower back, through your buttocks, and down the back of each leg to your feet. Anything that compresses the sciatic nerve can cause sciatica; characterized by numbness, tingling and pain down one leg. Pregnant women can get sciatica during the second and third trimesters as the growing baby presses against the nerve. Paying attention to your posture and doing low back exercises during pregnancy can relieve the discomfort (see Reference 1).

Getting Professional Help

• Talk to your doctor about your sciatic pain. She can suggest low back exercises or refer you to a physical therapist so you can put together an exercise program for the course of your pregnancy and beyond. There are three components to back exercises: stretching, stengthening and cardiovascular. If the pain is acute, your doctor can prescribe some safe medications.

  Avoid overexertion, anything that hyperextends your back, and high-impact activities like jogging when your lower back hurts. Not only are these activities sometimes the cause of sciatica, this type of exercise during a back pain episode can worsen your condition, according the the University of Maryland Medical Center (see Reference 2). Avoid any exercise that increases pain, but do some daily gentle stretching and strengthening exercises as tolerated (see references 1 and 2).

Stretching for Back Pain Relief

• Your spine and back are designed to move freely. While lower back and sciatic pain during pregnancy makes the thought of resting on the couch all day attractive, this inactivity can make the pain worse. Gentle stretching exercises for your lower back, as well as your upper back, neck and hips, can relieve the pain. Do all stretching in slow, controlled movements and hold positions for 20 or 30 seconds. It will take as little as 5 to 10 minutes each day to experience benefits (see Reference 3, Resource 2).

Strengthening Exercises

• Strong core muscles support your spine. These muscles are in your lower and upper back, abdominals, pelvis and hips. As with stretching, don't use abrupt movements but do all exercises slowly, concentrating on the muscles. Hold strengthening poses for 3 to 10 seconds each, breathing in as you move and exhaling while you hold the pose (see Resource 2).

  Consider joining a yoga or Tai Chi class. The combination of strengthening poses, stretching and meditation can provide great relief for pain as well as allow you to perform these exercises under the watchful eye of a professional (see Reference 2).

Cardiovascular Exercise

• Walking, swimming and even biking are safe during pregnancy (always check first with your doctor). Cardiovascular and gentle aerobic exercise done three to five times a week can increase your energy and is an integral part of any fitness program. If you can't find time, or are unable to tolerate, the recommended 20 to 45 minutes of cardio, even 10 minutes each day will help.