We just evaluated a pregnant patient with complaints of sciatica pain down her left leg. She is in her third trimester and due in April. She presents with a sacral torsion which is when the fused triangular shaped bone at the bottom of the spine is rotated to one side. This can cause irritation/inflammation to the sacroiliac joints and the sacral nerves on either side which can cause a referral of pain into the buttock or down the back of the leg. We performed soft tissue mobilization to the pelvis and spine, joint mobilization, muscle energy techniques, and issued stretching exercises. She is much better even after just one session. The baby is in Frank Breech position and hopefully the work we do to her pelvis will invite/allow the baby to turn. Frank Breech is an intrauterine position of the fetus in which the buttocks present at the maternal pelvic inlet, the legs are straight up in front of the body, and the feet are at the shoulders. This presentation can lead to a C-section yet there are some providers that can and will deliver babies in breech positions.
