Paralysis of the leg during pregnancy

In rare cases, the changes in the body during pregnancy can lead to unfavorable constellations that cause paralysis in the leg. For example, the growth of the child and the resulting increase in the circumference of the abdomen in combination with wearing tight pants can lead to entrapment and thus paralysis of the skin nerves. This can lead to sensory disturbances and sensations in the skin of the thigh.

The stretching and structural loosening of the pelvis during pregnancy can also cause nerve entrapment. A possible consequence is partial or complete paralysis of the affected leg. It is not uncommon for the sciatic nerve, which originates from the lumbar spine, to be affected by compression or irritation due to the unaccustomed strain.

Symptomatically, irritation of this nerve is manifested by a mostly pulling pain that radiates from the buttocks to the leg. The muscles of the leg may feel numb or show weakness in the form of paralysis. Since the ligaments are more extensible than before due to hormonal processes during pregnancy, herniated discs are more frequent, which can become symptomatic in leg paralysis and require clarification. Also caused by changes in the hormone balance, water retention occurs more frequently during pregnancy, which also affects the connective tissue around nerves. The swelling of this tissue can lead to nerve entrapment and thus also to paralysis in the leg.

Therapy

The therapy of paralysis symptoms in the leg depends largely on the underlying cause and covers a spectrum from surgical treatment, for example to treat a herniated disc, to drug therapy in the case of muscular diseases, to conservative measures. These include physiotherapy and physical therapy, which aims to relieve the symptoms and to build up and strengthen the muscles. In the case of paraplegia, according to current medical knowledge, there are still no procedures for curative treatment. Here, in addition to conservative measures such as physiotherapy, good psychological and social support is particularly important in the treatment of paralysis so that the patient can adapt to the new circumstances and lead as independent a life as possible with changes in the home environment and at work.