While being pregnant is an amazing experience it really does take a toll on our bodies. From extra weight, sore breasts, organs being displaced, and then the delivery, it is no wonder that we get a few aches and pains but what is the cause of bum cheek pain during pregnancy? Keep reading to find out all the information you need.
Bum Cheek Pain During Pregnancy – Should I Be Worried?
The most common cause of bum cheek pain during pregnancy is normally due to an overworked muscle or excess pressure on your sciatic nerve. This nerve runs from your lower back through your bum and then down each leg. There are other causes that are not as common such as hemorrhoids, pelvic girdle pain, or even labor.
What is Sciatica?
Sciatica can happen to anyone at any stage of their life and not just to pregnant women. It’s caused by compression of the sciatic nerve and can cause symptoms such as shooting pain in the lower back, buttocks, and legs.
The pressure is usually caused by either inflammation or pressure on the nerve and can vary in severity from mild to severe pain.
Causes of Sciatica (Bum Cheek Pain in Pregnancy)
What is the pain in my bum cheek during pregnancy is something a lot of women ask themselves and the most common reason is sciatica. But what are the causes of this condition and what can you do to help alleviate them.
Here are some of the main causes of sciatic pain in the body. It can sometimes be caused by a combination of these too.
‣ Core Strength
Having a lack of core strength especially when pregnant can lead to sciatica as these muscles become increasingly stretched due to the extra weight that pregnancy places on them. This extra weight can also affect your pelvic floor and back muscles.
‣ Tight Hip Muscles
As your pregnancy progresses you may notice that your center of gravity shifts as well. This is mainly due to the extra weight at the front of your body. Your body’s way of compensating for this is to rotate your feet outward. However, when this happens the muscles that rotate your hip become shorter, and this can cause issues with your piriformis.
‣ Head Position
This may sound like a weird one but when your center of gravity is off because of the extra weight you are carrying in front of you pregnant women often stick their heads out very much like a turtle in order to counterbalance. The problem with this is that your head is extremely heavy and just adds to the already increased load. This then in turn causes problems with muscle balance at the hips and irritates the piriformis.
‣ Pelvic Shifting Problem
Sometimes you can get what is called a lateral shift. This can be due to a herniated disc or even from sitting leaning to one side for extended periods of time. When this lateral shift occurs it causes your shoulders to move to the left or the right of the pelvis and then causes pressure on the sciatic nerve.
It is important to remember that pain in the bum cheek during early pregnancy can also be caused by sciatica as the muscles in your body begin to relax due to the hormone relaxing in preparation for birth.
Self Treatments for Sciatica/ Bum Cheek Pain During Pregnancy
If you are experiencing left bum cheek pain in pregnancy or even pain in the right bum cheek during pregnancy then it is quite safe to say that you are probably suffering from sciatica. But there are treatments that can help ease the pain.
Firstly it is extremely important that you listen to your body and if an activity seems to be aggravating your pain that you stop doing it. Here are some ways to ease the pain of sciatica during pregnancy.
- Acupuncture – This pain relief therapy is rooted in traditional Chinese medicine and involves inserting tiny needles into your body. It is believed that by targeting specific areas of your body that correspond with channels your life force can be redirected and opened up. A study has suggested that acupuncture treatment is more effective than traditional pain medication.
- Prenatal Yoga – Yoga can benefit both your mind and your body especially when pregnant. So it is no surprise that it can also help with sciatic pain. In a similar way to physical therapy yoga can help to realign the body as well as relieve any nerve compression that you may have.
- Prenatal Massage – By working regularly on the deep tissue in your hip and lower back it can help to relieve some of the pain associated with sciatica. It can also help to get rid of a whole host of pregnancy aches and pains.
- Physical Therapy – This can range from osteopathy to exercise therapy. These can help to reduce inflammation, increase blood flow, as well as help to realign joints and muscles.
- Magnesium Supplement – This mineral plays a key role in over 300 reactions in our bodies and is a major player in correct nerve function. Magnesium is found in a huge number of different foods but yet many people are still deficient. An animal study has suggested that taking a magnesium supplement may improve sciatic nerve regeneration and even decrease inflammatory response in mice.
Other Causes of Bum Cheek Pain in Pregnancy
As we have said the main cause of nerve pain in bum cheek during pregnancy is sciatica but there can be other reasons for this pain. Here are some other reasons you may be experiencing pain in your bum cheek while pregnant.
- Hemorrhoids- This is when veins in the rectum and anus become enlarged and swollen. You can have hemorrhoids both internally and externally and around 25-35% of pregnant women are affected by them.
- Pelvic Girdle Pain- This is also known as symphysis pubis dysfunction or SPD and let me tell you from personal experience this is an extremely painful condition. It is caused when the pelvic joints move unevenly causing pain over the pubic bone, lower back, hips, buttocks, and thighs.
- Labor- Some women have reported that uterine contractions can also cause pain in their bum during labor. But don’t panic this is not one of the most common symptoms of labor.
- Piriformis Syndrome- This syndrome is most commonly associated with pregnancy but it can occur in anyone. The piriformis muscle is quite a small muscle that connects your thigh bone to the spine as well as through your pelvic floor. When this muscle becomes overused it can get very tight. The problem is that this muscle runs very close to your sciatic nerve so if the muscle is spasming it can cause sciatic nerve symptoms such as pain in the bum and down your leg.
Wrapping Up
If you are experiencing bum cheek pain during pregnancy then you can put your mind at rest in the knowledge that this is nothing serious but still painful. It is most likely that you are suffering from sciatica which can affect anybody not just pregnant women. However, if you are pregnant we have also suggested some ways to help relieve the pain and discomfort. But if you are still concerned or in pain it may be best to consult your Obgyn.
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