Postpartum Sciatica: Using Yoga to Treat Pain

Fiona Tapp for Prevention Online and Yoga Medicine founder Tiffany Cruikshank share some key yoga poses to help postpartum sciatica. Learn what might be making it worse, and some tips on treating it in the article below.

How Yoga Is Helping Me Manage My Postpartum Sciatica

The sciatic nerve is the longest single nerve in the human body. It runs all the way from the lower back down the back of each leg, says Loren Fishman, MD. Dr. Fishman is the medical director at Manhattan Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. And also an assistant clinical professor at Columbia Medical School.

While anyone can develop pain along this nerve for a variety of reasons (such as a slipped disc), it’s fairly common among women during and after pregnancy. For starters, weight gain can place pressure on the fragile nerves of the spine, says Alfred Bonati, MD, founder and chief orthopedic surgeon at The Spine Institute.

The sciatic nerve can also become irritated during childbirth itself. Especially during long labors, when women experience so-called back labor. Another risk factor is when the baby is in an abnormal position such as breech. This is all according to research from the European Spine Journal.

After childbirth, many moms are left with weakened back and abdominal muscles, which can lead to more pain. Poor posture and hunching—pretty common among those who are breastfeeding and cradling their baby—make the problem even worse.

Is yoga the best Rx?

Heat, massage, stretching, and yoga seem to do the trick for many people. Tiffany Cruikshank, founder of Yoga Medicine, who works closely with doctors to create pain management plans involving yoga, confirmed that the practice can definitely ease lower back pain and help prevent flare-ups.

Read the full article here.