Women of all ages are familiar with lower back pain. From a teenage, females are dealing with these issues because of the menstrual cycle. However, only the menstrual cycle can not be the reason for the lower back pain, several health conditions are responsible for this issue in females. In this article, you will learn about what causes lower back pain in females. What injuries and diseases are responsible for severe back pain, you will also get some remedies to get rid of this issue.
Injuries That May Cause Lower Back Pain:-
Some injuries may cause you lower back pain. Due to our busy schedule, we do not notice the small injuries but it may cause severe issues if you do not take care of it. Sometimes you may feel lower right back pain, pain in lower left back, or maybe pain in the whole spine. Following injuries may cause you lower back pain.
- Muscle strain and ligament sprains:- Sometimes we overstretch a muscle or tear a ligament in our back and it causes lower back pain.
- Herniated or diseased discs:- When a spinal disc bulges out of shape and irritates a nerve then it may cause back pain.
- Spondylolisthesis:- This condition occurs when one of your vertebrae slips forward, leaning on the vertebra below, squashing the nerve between the 2 vertebrae, gymnastics and football players are more prone to this injury.
- Pinched nerve:- When too much pressure is applied to a nerve by the body tissues then this condition occurs.
Health Conditions That May Cause Lower Back Pain In Female:-
Lower back pain may occur due to many health conditions. You have to identify and then get the treatment for that specific cause. Sometimes people ignore this issue till it gets serious but you should consult your doctor if you are not getting relief in a few days and if it is getting intense with time. The health conditions mentioned below may be the reason for your lower back pain.
PMS:-
PMS or premenstrual syndrome is a condition before the menstrual cycle when a woman feels a lot of physical and emotional changes. For some women, it is not intense but for some, it is challenging and affects their lifestyle. Lower back pain is one of the symptoms of PMS. Some other symptoms of PMS are cramping, headache, clumsiness, lower tolerance for noise or light, appetite changes or food cravings, trouble with concentration or memory, tension, anxiety and depression, feelings of sadness, or crying spells.
PMDD:-
Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) is an intense form of PMS. It may occur before a week of the period. In this condition, you may feel PMS (premenstrual syndrome) symptoms along with extreme anxiety, depression, and irritability. These symptoms may occur for a few days but the severity of these symptoms will affect daily life abruptly. Generally, it affects 10% of the women. Its symptoms are severe back pain, anger, irritability, feeling on edge, anxiety and panic attacks, depression and suicidal thoughts, difficulty concentrating, fatigue and low energy, food cravings, binge eating, changes in appetite, headaches, insomnia, and mood swings.
Dysmenorrhea:-
Dysmenorrhea is also known as menstrual cramps. Menstrual cramps for one or two days are normal but some women experience severe menstrual cramps that affect their daily routine. It has two types, primary Dysmenorrhea and secondary Dysmenorrhea. In primary Dysmenorrhea, menstrual cramps come back whenever you get a period but are not due to another medical condition. There can be several reasons behind secondary Dysmenorrhea such as pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), cervical stenosis, congenital conditions, endometriosis, etc. The symptoms of Dysmenorrhea are aching, and throbbing pain in your abdomen, the feeling of pressure in your abdomen, pain in your hips, lower back, and inner thighs, and other symptoms like nausea, dizziness, and headaches.
Endometriosis:-
Endometriosis is described as a health condition where tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows on other parts of the body. When this tissue grows in the wrong places, it can cause the experience of uncomfortable symptoms that can impact the daily life of an individual. The symptoms of Endometriosis include chronic pelvic pain, heavy bleeding during periods or between periods, trouble getting pregnant, bloating or nausea, fatigue, depression or anxiety, and lower back pain. Sometimes its symptoms may improve after menopause. Endometriosis symptoms are variable, which means it may not be easily diagnosable. The body parts where Endometriosis can develop are the outside and back of your uterus, fallopian tubes, ovaries, vagina, peritoneum, bladder and ureters, intestines, and diaphragm.
Pelvic Inflammatory Disease:-
Pelvic inflammatory disease is a health condition in which a woman gets a serious infection in the uterus, fallopian tubes, or ovaries. It develops when certain types of bacteria spread to the reproductive organs. Bacteria from untreated sexually transmitted infections are the most common cause of this condition. In pelvic inflammatory disease, you may feel pain in your lower abdomen or pelvis.
Fibroids:-
Uterine fibroids are common growth on the wall of the uterus. They often appear during the age to get pregnant and give birth. Do not compare Uterine fibroids with cancer, because they rarely turn into cancer. It can grow as a single nodule or in a cluster. Clusters of fibroids can range in size from 1 mm to more than 20 cm in diameter or even larger. These growths can develop anywhere such as within the wall of your uterus, inside the main cavity of your uterus, or on the outer surface of your uterus. Generally, it does not affect the daily life of a woman but when it is a larger size, it may cause lower back pain, constipation or feeling pressure on your rectum, long-term vaginal discharge, inability to pee or empty your bladder, and increased abdominal distention.
Adenomyosis:-
Adenomyosis is a medical condition when tissue similar to the lining of the uterus starts to grow into the muscle wall of the uterus. It causes the uterus to thicken and enlarge and sometimes, up to double or triple its usual size. The symptoms of Adenomyosis are abnormal menstruation, infertility, enlarged uterus, bloating or fullness in your belly, and lower back pain.
Pregnancy:-
In the early stages of pregnancy, lower back pain is very common. It may occur due to several reasons such as Hormones (Relaxin and progesterone hormones relax muscles and loosen ligaments and joints in the pelvic area), when you put on weight the center of gravity shifts forward and it may cause strain in your back muscles, body posture during pregnancy, etc.
Poor posture:-
Many times, poor posture is the main reason behind the lower back pain. At present, people sit for hours for their work, and sitting for hours in the wrong posture affects your back adversely. Pain and other uncomfortable effects due to bad or poor posture may not be felt after only a few hours of sitting, it does place a lot of stress on the spine and then it will show its effect over time. Slouching and other poor posture positions compress the nerves and blood vessels in the lower back, resulting in pain and problems with the joints, muscles, and discs in the area of a person.
Arthritis:-
The most common arthritis are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Osteoarthritis occurs when the cartilage that caps your bones wears away and degenerative changes can happen over time in joints used daily for motion. Rheumatoid arthritis occurs when your body’s immune system mistakenly attacks your joints and you may experience pain and swelling, and your bones and joints slowly deform. The spine is susceptible to osteoarthritis because of the motion between the vertebrae and It’s most common in the lower back or lumbar spine because these joints carry most of the body weight.
Weakness in abdominal muscles:-
Abdominal muscles are the core muscles that stabilize the spine and when they are weak, they can not provide support to the spine properly. This condition makes the body more prone to sprains and strains. Due to this condition, even simple movement can injure the body and you may get lower back pain.
Appendicitis:-
Appendicitis is described as an inflammation of the appendix, sometimes food or fecal matter can lodge in the narrow tube of the appendix and this blockage becomes infected with bacteria. People of any age can be struck by appendicitis, but it seems to be more common during childhood and adolescence. The symptoms of Appendicitis may include fever, vomiting, diarrhea, pain in the lower back, constipation, and loss of appetite.
How To Alleviate Lower Back Pain:-
First of all, you have to identify the cause of your lower back pain. After that according to your requirements, you can take medication or therapy. If you are not getting relief then contact your doctor immediately.
- Applying cold and hot:- Applying heating pads or ice packs on the back pain area may be effective because cold temperatures lower inflammation and hot temperatures relax the muscles.
- Stretching:- Stretching is the best way to reduce or eliminate back pain, you should stretch the muscles on or near the spine. When these spine muscles are tight, it may cause the spine to be misaligned and that may lead to pain.
- Gentle exercise:- Gentle exercise will relax your muscles and you may get relief.
- Painkiller medications:- Medication may help you with your back pain for a duration. Pain relief medications like Tramadol, Oxycodone, and Carisoprodol may help you with this situation. If you are not getting relief then consult the doctor for backache treatment.
- Core strengthening workouts:- Exercise your core muscles and make them strong because the muscles in your abs and back play a critical role in supporting your lower spine and it will save you from experiencing lower back pain.
- Back massage:- Back massage will relax your muscles and provide relief.
Lifestyle Changes:-
By adding some changes to your lifestyle you can easily deal with lower back pain. Consider the following facts to reduce your lower back pain.
- Better sleep:- According to some studies, not sleeping enough for a long duration can be a cause for lower back pain so you should complete your sleep cycle to avoid this condition.
- Maintain a healthy weight:- If you are overweight, it will put more pressure on your spine and you may experience back pain, so try to lose weight faster and maintain a healthy weight to get rid of this issue.
- Comfortable Shoes:- If your shoes are not comfortable, it will affect your walking and your posture and that may cause back pain so switch your shoes if they are uncomfortable.
- Bed and sleeping position:- Sometimes your bed and sleeping position may also be responsible for lower back pain. It is also a reason for lower back pain in females while sleeping.
- Correct posture:- Always try to sit in the correct posture whether you are sitting on a couch, driving, or doing anything because good posture can help reduce the risk of developing herniated disc disease.
Conclusion:-
Lower back pain is the most common issue at present due to the lifestyle. Women ignore it, till it becomes difficult for them to deal with it and it disrupts their daily routine. Sometimes it is common and occurs only for a few days, but sometimes it may be a sign of some other disease. When it stays for more than a few days and its severity increases with time, you should consult the doctor and take medication or therapy for your lower back pain.
FAQs
When Should I Be Worried About Lower Back Pain?
You should take your lower back pain seriously when it lasts for more than one or two weeks. Its severity increases with time and you are not getting any relief. You should also notice the other health issues if they occur along with lower back pain like fever, change in weight, and bladder issues.
What Organ Can Give You Lower Back Pain?
Several organs may be responsible for your lower back pain such as kidneys, pancreas, colon, appendix, liver, gallbladder, and reproductive organs.
What Diseases Start With Lower Back Pain?
Many diseases may cause lower back pain in the initial stages. Cancer such as spinal, colorectal, or ovarian cancer may impact your lower back in its initial stage. Lower back pain may also be a sign of infection such as abscesses, osteomyelitis, and diskitis. Kidney infection may also start with lower back pain.
How Can A Woman Relieve Lower Back Pain?
There are several ways to get rid of lower back pain such as resting, walking, stretching, correcting your posture, meditation, and medication.
What Are The Red Flags For Lower Back Pain?
The red flags for lower back pain may include factors like age, if your age is above 50 years or below 18 years and you are dealing with lower back pain, consult the doctor immediately. If your back pain takes 2 to 3 weeks, it’s a red flag. If you are dealing with other health issues like fever, chills, and sweating, it is also a red flag and you should visit a doctor.
How Can I Tell If My Back Pain Is Kidney-related?
Kidney-related back pain is deeper and comparatively higher. You may feel dull to sharp pain in your left or right spine.
How Can You Tell If Back Pain Is Muscular Or Something Else?
Generally, muscular back pain is more common. If your back pain is muscular, it will hurt more in a particular location and during a specific physical position.
What Part Of Your Back Hurts With Pancreatitis?
Due to pancreatitis, you may feel pain in your shoulder blades. When you lay on your back, the pain becomes worse and by leaning forward you may feel some relief.
What Can Be Mistaken For Lower Back Pain?
Several health conditions can mimic lower back pain, such as inflammatory diseases, facet arthropathy, degenerative disc disease, tumors, trauma, sacroiliac joint pain, sciatica, and herniated lumbar disc.
What Drink Helps Back Pain?
Green tea may help you deal with back pain because it has anti-inflammatory properties. Sometimes due to dehydration, you may feel lower back pain, you should drink enough water to avoid this situation. Drinking Cherry juice also provides some relief.
What Are The Big 3 For Lower Back Pain?
The three exercises, the bird dog, the side plank, and the modified curl-up are known as the big 3 for lower back pain. These Exercises target the specific muscles in your back and reduce pain.
How To Know If Back Pain Is Serious?
If your back is not getting better in two or three weeks and you are noticing some other symptoms such as weakness or numbness then you should consider it as a serious issue and visit a doctor.