Nerve Pain During Pregnancy

Nerve-related pain feels different than muscle pain. As physical therapists, when we evaluate a patient and determine there is nerve involvement for a patient’s symptoms, treatment will look very different than if it were strictly muscle involvement. In this blog we will explore what nerve pain feels like, why it is common during pregnancy, and what treatment may look like for nerve-related pain.

What Does Nerve Pain Feel Like?

Sensation:

Nerve pain is typically described as a burning, pulsating, shooting or radiating pain. It may be localized to one area or radiate out in a direction along the pathways of the nerve.

Location:

Nerve pain is typically associated with a nerve pathway and may radiate from the spine out to the leg, arm or around the abdomen.

Common descriptions of nerve pain:

• Feeling a burning sensation in the lower back, buttocks, or leg 

• Feeling pain that travels from your back or pelvis to the back of your leg 

• Feeling a sudden zing of pain

• Feeling pain that worsens when you sit for long periods

• Feeling numbness, tingling in the buttock, leg or foot

 Causes for Nerve Pain During Pregnancy

Nerve-related pain during pregnancy is extremely common due to several changes that occur within a pregnant women’s body that put them more at-risk for nerve irritation. Let’s explore some of these changes that happen during pregnancy.

1. Hormonal changes:

As soon as we conceive, pregnancy hormones, including estrogen and relaxin increase, cause ligaments and connective tissue to become more relaxed. This hormonal effect can lead to increased pressure on nerves, especially in the pelvic area, contributing to nerve pain.

• Cue pelvic floor PT! If we can teach our body to utilize muscular support for the lack of ligament and connective tissue support during this time, our body will be less affected by these hormonal changes!

2. Weight gain (NORMAL!!):

Gaining weight as the baby grows is completely normal, however it causes us to alter the body's center of gravity and put extra pressure on certain nerves. This added pressure can lead to nerve irritation.

3. Fluid retention:

Nerves like space and movement. As the fluid volume within the body increases with pregnancy, this can cause decreased space for the nerves to slide and glide.

4. Expanding uterus:

There are several nerves that originate at the low back and pelvis that can be impacted as the uterus expands with a growing baby. Additional pressure on the nerves from the expanding uterus can cause them to be irritated.

5. Posture changes:

Due to the growing weight of the baby, our body makes modifications to posture to improve our stability. These changes can change the alignment and control of the pelvis, contributing to irritated nerves.

Treatment for Nerve Pain During Pregnancy

Pelvic Floor Physical Therapists have advanced training in treating not only typical nerve pain, but more specifically, nerve pain during pregnancy. At Pelvic Wellness, when we evaluate an expectant mother for nerve pain, we consider the various factors that are unique to the pregnant women’s body. Some of the things we may include in our treatment is:

1. Central nervous system calming:

The central nervous system, made up of the brain and spinal cord, are the ultimate deciders of whether you will feel pain or not. If our central nervous system is more sensitive due to additional stressors in our life (such as job stress, financial stress, lack of sleep, etc.), then we are more likely to feel pain. Treatment of nerve pain should include not only addressing the area of pain, but also calming the central nervous system so the body can tolerate more prior to feeling pain.

2. Optimizing pelvic and back alignment:

Due to the changing of hormones during pregnancy and therefore the cause of more laxity around the pelvis, it is not uncommon to have alignment changes at the low back and pelvic girdle (the bones that make up the pelvis). If our bones are not aligned properly, this can contribute to irritation of the nerves. As Pelvic Floor PT’s, we are skilled at evaluating pelvic alignment and use gentle treatment techniques to promote optimal alignment.

3. Nerve glides:

This is a technique utilized to help slide and glide nerves through the connective tissues and structures they pass through. Nerves like space and movements, so if anywhere along the nerve pathways isn’t providing enough space, we can start to feel symptoms. Nerves do NOT LIKE to be stretching for prolonged periods, in fact, it often makes them angrier. Nerve glides encouraged gentle movement and mobility for the nerve, without making it irritable.

4. Posture retraining:

As the uterus and baby grow larger during pregnancy, it is natural for pregnant women to modify posture to continue to support their body. However, some of these modifications that expectant mothers subconsciously make, can contribute to nerve irritation if it puts stress on certain nerve pathways. Bringing awareness to these posture changes and guiding you in retraining exercises can help minimize the stress placed on the nerves.

5. Pelvic mobility:

It seems counterintuitive that the pelvis would need help with mobility since the hormonal changes cause increased laxity around the pelvis. However, due to the laxity of the ligaments and connective tissues, this may cause our larger muscles to become overactive and spastic to try to give the body support. This can further lead to irritation of the nerves if the muscles are tight and inflexible.

6. Pelvic stability:

As hormones cause the pelvis to relax, we must rely more on the muscular support of our body to help control the movement around our pelvis during pregnancy. Determining what muscles may not be functioning, or what ones may not be functioning at the right time, to support a growing pregnant mom’s body is key in providing skilled Therapeutic Exercise to improve the strength and coordination used to support the pelvis and maintain support for the nerves.

Finding Help For Your Nerve Pain

Treatment for nerve pain during pregnancy will be unique based off your unique symptoms and unique body. At Pelvic Wellness, we have advanced training in treating the body as a whole, to determine the root cause of the problem and provide a treatment plan that provides lasting relief of symptoms. We allow ample time at our visits to utilize a holistic approach and do not provide you with a cookie cutter plan. If you are interested in scheduling a visit with one of our Pelvic Health Experts, click here.

If you are seeking a Pelvic Floor Therapist outside of the Omaha, NE area to help you with your nerve-related pain, refer to our previous post here for assistance with finding a therapist who is skilled to treat your specific symptoms and who provides you with an individualized evaluation and treatment plan.