Question
Oh my gosh, I think I have a pinched nerve which is sending shooting pains to my left hip. This morning I was sleeping soundly when I had this pain, one of the most horrific pains ever, in my left hip. It seriously felt like someone had taken a very long and wide needle fiery hot needle and stabbed me in the hip. I flew out of bed, to see if going upright would help it and walked around while saying "Oh my God, Oh my God!" After about 30 seconds it went away, but now my hip is kind of numb and very tender to the touch. The pain was so bad that I started to black out! And I don't consider myself to be a wuss with pain. So, it still keeps getting this weird icy/hot feeling in it and I'm so scared it's going to happen again!

I had started to notice in the last several days that if I was laying down or sitting down with my feet up and my toes on my left foot were pointed to the side instead of straight toward the ceiling, my hip started to get this icy/hot feeling, so I would straighten it back up and the feeling would literally melt away.

I talked to my mom this morning and she thinks it might be a pinched nerve. I found this online: http://www.webmd.com/content/pages/4/1661_50313.htm I think that's it. Any else have this kind of thing happen to them?

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When Kenzie was about 3 months old I pinch a nerve in my leg and literally could not get out of bed, my mom had to come get me adn the baby. There isn't a whole lot you can do for it since your pregnant, I'd call your doctor and see if there are any pain relievers or anti-inflammatories you can take to help.

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Ohhh no! No advice, but lots of sympathy!

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maybe put one of those self heating pads on there? maybe that'll loosen the nerve? just a suggestion. I'd call the doctor if i were you

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I'm going to wait a few days and see if it goes away. I think if I use a pillow to prop me knees up at night, then maybe it won't happen. I read that wet heat will work good on it. I only have a regular dry heating pad at home, and a bath in this heat just doesn't sound pleasant!

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I feel your pain (literally), and you're so right that it can be unbearable.

The best thing to do is to alternate between hot and cold. The heating pad should work fine, and then also use an ice pack. Do ten minutes each for about an hour if you can stand it.

Take ibuprofren (if you can) and that should help with the sharpness of the pain, but it probably won't all go away.

Elevate your legs - lie on your back and get 3 or 4 pillows and put them under your knees. That can help to relieve some of the pressure or "pinchness". (I know that's not a real word, lol.)

Do not bend or lift anything unnecessarily for a couple days.

Lastly - make an appt. with your doctor even if it eases up in a day or two. When it comes to your back, please please do not ignore anything. Ask for an MRI (you can't do x-rays right now correct?) so that the doc can see exactly what's going on.

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Heather, I'm so glad you replied! I knew YOU would have great advice. I do have a question though. Is it a pinched nerve in my back that's radiating to my hip, or is it in my hip? Essentially I'm asking where I should put the ice/heat packs. From what I've read, it's being caused in my back and radiating out from there. Does that sound right? I don't know about running to the doctor, as this kind of thing sounds kinda common in pregnancy. I'm guessing it will go away after birth.

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Is the pain radiating further than your hip, are you feeling anything lower than that? It sounds to me like you've pinched or something is pushing on your sciatic nerve. That nerve travels along the left side of your spine and continues down your leg to the bottom of your foot. When my discs were herniated, they were pushing on that nerve which caused sciatic pain. I wanted to reach into my leg (mostly) to massage it because it felt like I just couldn't get to where the pain was. I don't know if that makes sense, lol. My back would ache, but it's the sciatic pain I couldn't live with anymore.

The pain is more than likely radiating. I would put the heat and ice where ever it feels good to you. I would start with the ice pack on your lower back, switch to heat, and then try it on your hip. Something that I should own stock in by now is Icy Hot. It smells kind of like Bengay but I actually like it - it's more eucalyptusy. Again, not a real word, lol. It feels cool going on and then it warms up. I would pick some of this up. When you put it on, wrap the area with a towel because it feels warmer when you have something close to your skin like that.

This is all just my experience of course and everyone is different when it comes to back issues, but my biggest advice is to lay really low and don't do anything physically unnecessary if you can help it. I don't know if it's common in pregnancy, so it may be something you experience once in a while dependant upon where the little one is in your body. I wish I could help more! Wynelle may be able to add to this if she pops on.

Here's a soft hug .

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Amy, here is a hug I have a pinched nerve that hurts my hip and upper leg and because they can never find it when I am lying down in the MRI they say it can't be bad.......... So I know the discomfort you are having......

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yikes, that sure does hurt. hope the pain goes away real soon.

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So, I'm having a conversation with my mom on the phone the other day. We talk just about every day on the phone, so she's completely "in the know" of what's going on with me and the pregnancy. Also, for anyone who's new, she's also my very best friend. Well, now for the gripe.

She asks how my hip is doing the other day and I told her how I didn't sleep very well b/c I was worried all night long that whatever position I was sleeping in was going to bring on the pain again. Then I tell her that if I still have it by the time I have my next dr appt (8/25) that I will ask about any medicine I can take for it. I told her that I read online that pinched nerves can be caused by pregnancy, yada yada yada. Then I complain about getting a stye in my eye that isn't too bad yet, but it's still there. (Obviously it was my bitching hour). Well, she feels bad for me, and then goes on to say that she thinks things were so much better in her day when you didn't "know" so much about what was going on with the pregnancy or your body. If something came up, you just said oh well, took something for it and then went about your day. I immediately jump on her and ask if she thinks that I caused this myself. She says no, but yet I still can't understand how she jumped from this to that without thinking that! I tell her that I had no idea that a pinched nerve could even be caused by pregnancy until after I had one!! And BTW, I'm the one that said styes are not pregnancy related and she told me that you never know, it might've been. So, I then tell her that she irritated me and we move on.

I love that I can be honest with my mom when she irritates me, but I'm still so bothered by her saying that. I now wanna look online for stats on newborn baby's health being better nowadays with mothers reading more and learning more than they were "back in her day".

Ok, vent done. Thanks.

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Aww sweetie, I know how you feel with regard to the "back in the day" thing. My Mom is 67 years old, and I hear this more often than anything.

You know how now it's bad to stuff a raw turkey with stuffing the day before Thanksgiving and let it sit all night in the fridge to be cooked the next morning?

My Mom still does this and I keep telling her it's not good, someone could get sick. Her reply is always - Grandma did it this way for years and we were always fine.

That's just one thing - I also hear it about cell phones, microwaves (yes, really, lol), answering machines and so on.

In a way your Mom is right. My back issues are hereditary and in trying to figure out from who I got it, we realized that "back then" people didn't complain about back pain, it was just a part of life. You didn't go to the doctor and complain either - you dealt with it, took something, and got up in the morning to suffer through another day.

I totally see where you're coming from though.

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so sorry to hear about your pinched nerve.... i can assume it must be awfully painful for you...hope it gets better and soon.... must be very awkward, esp. in your situation.... rest well , take care

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I used to get that sensation of a pinched nerve-like feeling when I was pregnant with my oldest child, but for me the pain was actually in my butt cheek. I checked with my doctor, and he said that it was my son's head pressing down on a specific nerve.

When it would happen, I would literally be unable to walk. If I was standing when it happened, I would have to stay exactly where I was until the pain went away or lessened because I couldn't put ANY weight on my leg.

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As the baby gets bigger, he can position him/her self in ways that it causes *you* to compensate. Unfortunately the repositioning for you can cause a temporarily pinched nerve.

Try to find a position where you are at least vaguely comfortable, put one of those self-stick heating patches, and try to relax. (I would say to have a glass of wine, but your dotor might not approve--although since you have passed the first trimester, some doctors will allow an occasional glass)

When you get up, try doing a few simple Pilates style stretches. Stand straight with your toes pointing out and your heels about six inches apart. Fan your arms up and over your head while breathing, stretching upwards--feel your ribcage expanding not your stomach. Then bring them down

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Oh no... I don't know what to tell you, but maybe this well help.