Update and thanks post #21: Severe back pain on one side, 21ish weeks pregnant.

[kijip]

What has worked for you?

Chiro?
Physical Therapist?
Medications?
Massage?
Pregnancy support belt/undergarments?
Special Pillows?

Any links and advice very much appreciated.

I am doing ice and stretches and yoga still but it is frankly on par pain scale wise with a labor contraction...one that does not go away for days. I talked to my midwife (who is also a nurse practitioner) and she has me seeing a PT this afternoon. It's bad enough I am not able to sit or sleep for long. Considering a Chiro as well, depending on what the PT says.

I am buying a new bed because I think mine is too darn soft. This an proving to be an expensive problem (thankfully insurance pays for the PT and Chiro if I decide to go that route) but I have to be able to work and function. I have a legendary high pain tolerance and this is just about more than I can handle. Never had this with T. I am camped out on T's bed because it is firmer than mine and that seems to help.

Between the nausea and this, we may very well be done at 2!!!!:hysterical:

Note- no pain elsewhere, no cramping, not round ligament in front at all.

[LarsMal]

I had terrible lower back pain with DS- more in my tailbone area than my back- around 20-ish weeks.

I went to a chiro who did a full exam. I was very nervous about going back (first pregnancy nerves!)so I didn't! She did seem to think her therapy would help, though!!

We ended up getting a new mattress- the one we had was really old and very soft. I swear we could just fold it in half! A firmer mattress and sleeping with a special pillow between my legs (I picked it up at some store that sold mattresses/chair/pillows for back pain, CANNOT think of the name!). I'll see if I can find a picture of it. The new mattress, special pillow, and eventually swimming, changed everything!

Good luck!

[brittone2]

Does your midwife think it is a sacro-iliac issue?

Part of the problem in pregnacy is just the lax ligaments from all of the hormonal changes...so your bed probably won't (IMO) influence it much.

I had some SI problems in pregnancy, and yes, it hurts.

My recommendation would be to pursue the PT for sure (but I'm biased LOL). I actually saw a chiro during my pgcy (only because in my particular situation, I was also looking for someone to do some Webster stuff for me since DD was posterior-ish), but IME, many times the chiros will do mobilizations but not give you any exercises to try to keep things in place, which is IME what you need *if* you are dealing with a sacroiliac joint problem. Pgcy complicates things because even if you get the joint back in place (if you are dealing w/ something like SI problems), it can easily slip out again because all of the ligaments are so lax (so not much there to hold it in place)

The PT can do gentle joint mobilization (IME/IMO, you can accomplish getting a joint back into place without doing a high-velocity manipulation (that results in the "crack" that many people associate w/ chiropractors). I personally just prefer to have someone use more gentle (but still effective) techniques. They can use techniques to get the joint back in place that they can teach you to use yourself, in many cases.

I wish you some relief soon. It is very painful.

eta: reading the above post also reminded me...if it *is* something like SI joint problems, then *definitely* have the PT show you some positions for sleep that take the stress off of your affected SI joint, and even how to get out of bed in the morning. I really like to see comprehensive treatment, kwim?

[dotgirl]

I had something similar at around 20 weeks and was diagnosed with sciatica. I went to PT once a week and my therapist would do something that made things better for a few hours - between that, the nightly stretches he had me do, and the weekly therapeutic massage, I was able to manage it for the rest of the pregnancy.

[JTsMom]

I strongly second the pillow between the legs when you sleep, although your pain sounds way more severe than anything I experienced. I had to make myself a fort of pillows every night- one behind my back, one under my belly part way, one under my head, one between my legs. :ROTFLMAO: It worked great though!

Today I am :bowdown: to the chiro I saw last night. I was rear-ended about a month ago, and been having the worst pain in my neck and these horrendous headaches. When I left her office last night, I felt great! I've seen several chiros over the years- some are better than others. The better ones I have seen did rec certain stretches and exercises at home.

[infocrazy]

:yeahthat:

I had sciatica with DS1. It was horrible, I couldn't even walk! The stretches helped to make it tolerable...

[LBW]

I had terrible back and hip pain with all three of my pregnancies. I tried PT, yoga, ice, heat, ibuprofen. At best they took the edge off. Sadly the only thing that really helped was delivery. During my last pregnancy, my back got so bad that I actually couldn't move. The pain was WORSE than labor (w/out meds). I called my doc crying b/c it was so bad - and, like you, I have a crazy high tolerance for pain. He subscribed flexeril, and the pain was gone within a few hours. I could move again later that day. So, that's an option if you get to a truly intolerable point.

One other suggestion I have is acupuncture. I tried it, with success, with my second and third pregnancies and it really, truly helped. If your insurance covers chiro, they may cover acupuncture, too.

[saschalicks]

For me w/out a doubt chiro was/is the way to go. I went all through my other pregnancies and am going once a week now. It even helps w/the nausea. I highly recommend it.

[bnme]

I had a ton of back pain with DS2 - no fun indeed. Mostly I had sciatica. But early on I had some severe lower back pain out of nowhere and it turned out I had a bladder infection. I had no other bladder or UTI like symptoms at all so I was surprised. I had to go on antibiotics and the pain was gone within a day or 2. So you may want to explore that. I found out at the regular pee test they give you at the gyn since it didn't even occure to me that it could be that.

Sorry you are going through this, hope you feel better soon.

[Tondi G]

I had sciatic pain with both my pregnancies and Chiropractic helped me tremendously!

[ThreeofUs]

I had awful back pain from a too-soft bed in this pregnancy, so I think your solution is on the right track. I also did Egosgue exercises religiously - see Amazon link (below) for his book for women, with pgcy specific section - and found if I didn't I could kiss my functioning goodbye.

I really (really really) recommend his method, not only as a mom by as an ex-dancer who was told I'd need new hips and feet before I was 40. His exercises work.

http://www.amazon.com/Pain-Free-Women-Revolutionary-Program/dp/0553380494/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1220477228&sr=1-3

[o_mom]

PT!!

Saved me in my first pregnancy. I had SI joint immobility and after the first visit, I was much better. She also showed me how to correct it by myself if it went out when I was alone. Prior to that there were several times I was literally stuck in the middle of a room because any movement caused severe pain way beyond anything in childbirth. I was confined to a recliner prior to that for about two weeks.

[pb&j]

I have had bad sciatica with all three preg's. What helped me is regular exercise, namely, swimming, walking, and yoga. By regular, I mean 2-3x/day. Stretching in the morning, a long walk (30-60 min) or a swim during the day, and yoga/stretching before bed. Also, sleeping with a pillow between my knees. Oh, and sitting on an exercise ball instead of on the sofa or in a chair. And gin and tonic.

Just kidding about that last bit.

I'd love to go see a chiro or PT, but I WOTH full time and just can't spare the time off work to do it. I feel worst on or after the days I don't exercise as much, so as long as I keep up my routine I'm usually pretty good, nothing I can't handle.

[jk3]

With my first, I had a herniated disc and nothing seemed to help until I saw a chiropractor when my DS was 6 months old. I tried prenatal massage which only helped during the massage and shortly thereafter and physical therapy which did not help. This time I have mild sciatica, especially when I walk for more than a few minutes. I'm ignoring it for now until it gets worse.

[JMS]

I had pretty bad sciatica with my 2nd pregnancy and started going to a chiro at about 20 weeks. I went weekly and I can't begin to express how much more comfortable the 2nd half of my 2nd pregnancy was compared to the 2nd half of my 1st pregnancy. My chiro had some sort of prenatal training but I don't that's necessary to get relief in your case.

GL. It's horrible and I hope you find a way to feel better soon.

[kellij]

I went to a PT recommended by my ob. They had tons of experience with pregnant women. It was a HUGE help! I highly recommend to anyone who has back pain. I went to a chiro after birth and really the PT helped me more. I ended up going back to her after the chiro didn't work. (I woke up one morning and literally couldn't stand up - I could get into a chiro immediately so I went there first).

The PT helped me eliminate pain pretty much all together. I would periodically need to go back and she'd fix me up again. I hate to see anyone with back pain since it was a pretty easy fix for me.

Let us know if it helped you!

[infocrazy]

I had a ton of back pain with DS2 - no fun indeed. Mostly I had sciatica. But early on I had some severe lower back pain out of nowhere and it turned out I had a bladder infection. I had no other bladder or UTI like symptoms at all so I was surprised. I had to go on antibiotics and the pain was gone within a day or 2. So you may want to explore that. I found out at the regular pee test they give you at the gyn since it didn't even occure to me that it could be that.

Sorry you are going through this, hope you feel better soon.

Oh, actually, I didn't even think of this but I had this with DS2. NO symptoms otherwise but I had a VERY serious kidney infection. I had back pain but I thought I had pulled a muscle earlier. I was in the hospital for a week at 22 weeks. You should definitely get that checked out. I didn't know until I had chills and fever over 103.

[mommy111]

Katie, I totally second that suggestion on getting a kidney infection checked out. That's what it sounds like to me.
For backache during pregnancy, support underwear helped tremendously, but quite honestly, your level of pain (with a high pain threshold) would have me really concerned about a kidney infection.

[gatorsmom]

Katie, I totally second that suggestion on getting a kidney infection checked out. That's what it sounds like to me.
For backache during pregnancy, support underwear helped tremendously, but quite honestly, your level of pain (with a high pain threshold) would have me really concerned about a kidney infection.

I absolutely third this. It was the first thing I thought of when I read your subject line. No personal experience but a friend of mine saw chiro after chiro with similar complaints. It turned out to be a serious kidney infection. You should see a doctor to rule this out.

Hope you find some relief soon. I KNOW that pain level. You are a stronger woman than me. Please let us know what you find out.

[kijip]

Thanks ladies.

I reached a no can move point this afternoon and my midwife, who had previously suggested the PT and a homeopathic thing (no relief from the homeopathy) called in a script for serious pain killers (vicodin) to allow me to get to the PT and the swimming pool! The PT was helpful, she mostly works with pregnant women. The PT gave me a couple of exercises after doing some gentle adjustments (don't know the lingo at all) and I am seeing her again Friday. She also suggested perhaps seeing a Chiro as well later on. I am still going ahead with a new bed because this one has been considered a touch soft by both of us for awhile. The PT also gave me some recommendations on how to sleep. So the plan is to get up, do the first set of exercises before getting out of bed, then do my yoga and go for a walk, then swim at as many nights as possible. I am not big on pain pills but it is nice to know I have something let me sit through work tomorrow without keeling over, :ROTFLMAO:if need be. I have a big day at work, where the work is not hard, I just need to be there all day into the evening. Without the pills, I think I would have had to call out, and it is just not the day for that. We also got a heating pad per the PY recommendations.

I was able to do my volunteer thing and go and get T from school with J (obviously, I am not driving on Vicodin). So that is better. If I can get through this for about 4 days, I can do labor again no worries, LOL.

I am getting my urine checked at the midwife on Monday, since I have had bladder issues in the distant past.

[kijip]

Thanks to noticing a slight fever this morning I called my midwife and got in this afternoon. Lisa, infocrazy, mommy111, you were all right! Thank you all so much for pointing me in the right direction as soon as I was feeling a bit warm. Here I am in the hospital with a kidney infection and a higher fever, but the IV fluids and the antibiotics are made me feel a bit better. Since I called *as soon* as I got a fever, they think I can be home by Sunday. I just assumed that the little bit of extra weight I am *still* carrying was a problem for my back for being pregnant...but it's an infection, which can happen to anyone.

Since I have to be in the hospital, I am glad at least to be in a birth suite where there is a bed for J, better bathroom, and better food. And a private room with no waiting around the ER or whatever. :) T is having a blast spending the night with a buddy.

[kedss]

Big hugs, Katie

[JTsMom]

Wow, Katie! I'm sorry you're in the hospital, but glad to hear you're on the mend. Thank goodness you went in right away! And hooray for the BBB moms- they saved the day yet again! :bighand:

[o_mom]

Sending you some healing vibes! I'm so glad you were keeping an eye out for this.

[mommy111]

Hope you feel better soon!!!! At least that horrible pain will be gone for good soon and you won't have to deal with it the rest of your pregnancy as you would have with back pain!

[mamicka]

Glad you got it figured out - Happy Healing!

[elephantmeg]

hope you feel better soon!

[ThreeofUs]

Oh, Katie, good for you getting to the hospital so fast!

I'm really sorry this is what's going on for you, and am sending all good healing thoughts to you.

[brittone2]

Feel better, Katie! Hopefully this will be the last hurdle you have to deal with for a long time :)

[bubbaray]

Hope you are feeling better soon!

[gatorsmom]

Katie,
I'm so sorry to hear you are in the hospital. But at least you will be getting relief from this pain and you get a little rest to boot.

I'm glad to hear from you and very glad you got this diagnosed. :)