As an executive mum balancing a high-stress job with the demands of motherhood, dealing with back and nerve pain in the legs after childbirth can add to the challenges. Postpartum nerve pain is not uncommon and can be a distressing experience that affects daily activities, from lifting your baby to managing work responsibilities. Understanding the causes behind this pain can help you take the right steps toward relief and recovery. In this blog, lets explore what causes postpartum nerve pain and what you can do about it.
After childbirth, many women experience pain and discomfort in various parts of the body, with nerve pain in the lower back and legs being especially common. This pain can stem from several factors related to pregnancy, labor, and delivery. Here are the common reasons for nerve pain in the legs:
Pelvic Changes and Misalignment: The process of childbirth often causes changes in the alignment of the pelvis and lower back. The body releases a hormone called relaxin during pregnancy to allow the pelvic ligaments to stretch for delivery. This loosening can sometimes lead to instability or slight misalignments in the pelvic and lower back region, resulting in nerve irritation or compression. This is particularly common for mums who may have experienced a challenging delivery or significant strain on their lower body.
Weak Core and Pelvic Floor Muscles: Pregnancy weakens the core and pelvic floor muscles, which play a crucial role in supporting the lower spine. After childbirth, if these muscles remain weak, they may struggle to provide adequate stability to the spine, leading to compensatory muscle tightness or overactivity. This compensation can irritate the nerves in the lower back and trigger nerve pain that radiates down into the legs.
Postpartum Postures and Daily Activities: The daily demands of motherhood- bending over, lifting, and carrying your baby, can put additional strain on an already weakened mid back and lower back and pelvic area. Poor posture during breastfeeding, lifting, and even sleeping can exacerbate lower back and leg nerve pain, especially if your body hasn’t fully recovered from pregnancy.
Pressure on the Nerves During Pregnancy and Delivery: During pregnancy, the added weight and pressure from your growing baby can put strain on the nerves in your lower back, particularly the sciatic nerve, which runs from the lower back down each leg. Labor and delivery can further intensify this pressure, especially if you had a long or challenging labor. This compression can lead to sciatic pain, which feels like a sharp or radiating pain from the lower back down to the legs.
Watch this video to learn more on Postpartum Back Pain Relief: 3 Essential Tips for Executive Mums
To address this discomfort, consider gentle postpartum exercises focused on rebuilding core and pelvic strength, as well as maintaining good posture throughout daily activities. By understanding the causes and focusing on strengthening and alignment, you can begin to manage and reduce nerve pain, making it easier to balance your responsibilities at work and at home.
HERE is a checklist on Quick Office Stretches for Nerve Pain Relief. It helps you to identify which nerve is causing your pain and then gives you specific exercises for that nerve and the muscles that need to be addressed. These are easy exercises that can be done while you are sitting at your desk.
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