Nearly 20 Weeks Pregnant & Having Worsening Glutueal pain...sciadic Maybe?

Hi there! I had a similar problem during my pregnancy with pain especially along the top of my glutes that made it really painful to walk. It was tight muscles, and also was causing some nerve pain. Though, it wasn't sciatica in my case - if you have sciatica you would expect pain extending down you leg.

In my case, it was a chiropractor that helped. I hadn't previously seen a chiro, so it may not be the answer in your case! It actually got worse for the first couple weeks, then got better. After a couple months, she advised me to do massage therapy instead because the structural issues were resolved. When it was really bad, I had to stop going for walks for a couple of weeks, because it seemed to make it worse, at my chiro's advice.

The other thing that worked well was icing it - I would just sit against an icepack. It actually helped both the muscle and nerve pain. I'm assuming it's because it reduced the muscle swelling and the nerve pain was caused by the muscle irritating the nerve.

Hope that helps a little - I know how frustrating it is!

N.

This might be related to your pelvic floor instead. I had problems with my butt being tight such that it would hurt to sit for more than 20 minutes even on a soft surface. It turned out to be due to pelvic floor spasms. This went undiagnosed after my first pregnancy and made labor very painful the second time around. After delievery I got the right diagnosess, and I went through extensive physical therapy. You would be lucky to realize this now and get some intervention before labor/delivery.

A.,

I did start having this problem during the first trimester as well. The pain was almost completely under control in the second trimester by doing some floor exercises where you get down on all fours and stretch the back like a cat. A physical therapist advised that I do this several times a day. Massage therapy also helped. I would also suggest wearing a pregnancy belt when you do walks or when you need to be on your feet for some time.

All the best for you,

ST

Have you thought of seeing an Acupuncturist?
Acupuncture is really effective for nerve compression and muscle tightness. If you want some referrals, just send me a message.

Hi A.,

As a doula, I can tell you a lot of my birthing mothers have had issue with this and the sciatic nerve does run right through your cheek! I would talk with your chiropractor about it as there is likely something that can be done to help even though it can't be taken away completely. Also, stretching can aggravate it more if it is indeed sciatica. Lastly, you might speak with your chiropractor about the benefits of a T.E.N.S. unit to short circuit the pain receptors. My clients love the T.E.N.S. units.

Best of luck with your newest addition!

T. Nelson CD (DONA)