What Can Cause Lower Back Pain In A Woman?

Diagnosing lower back pain in a woman is often more challenging than diagnosing lower back pain in a man. In men, lower back pain may be a symptom of prostate problems. When it comes to women, pain in the lower back can be a sign of problems with the reproductive system or her spine.

Finding the cause of back pain in women is not always easy. A process of elimination is often involved.

Let's look at some of the common causes of lower back pain in women.

Menopause and Lower back Pain

Chronic lower back pain is one of the most common health issues faced during peri-menopause and menopause. The reason why is not clearly understood, but it is thought that it may relate to a reduction in estrogen production.

When women go through menopause, the level of the female sex hormone estrogen decreases. Unfortunately, this is often a rapid process. The level of estrogen may also fluctuate wildly.

Both a lower level of estrogen and a fluctuating level of estrogen can lead to increased inflammatory response. In 70% of cases, a leading symptom is a pain in the lower back for women or other parts of the musculoskeletal system.

Bladder and Urine Infections

As women have a shorter urethra than men, urinary infections (UTIs) are a leading cause of lower back pain. Often, lower back pain occurs before other symptoms such as painful urination appears.

Many women don't associate lower back pain with urinary infections. In fact, it is one of the most common causes of lower back pain in both girls and women.

Dysmenorrhea

Dysmenorrhea is a uterine dysfunction which often presents with lower back pain. Symptoms include severe cramping which can result in both back pain and severe stomach ache.

This condition can start at an early age or present itself later in life. Many doctors consider it a secondary condition caused by endometriosis, fibroids or pelvic floor inflammatory disease.

Endometriosis is another chronic condition that is known to cause severe lower back pain. It happens when the living of the uterus starts to grow outside the uterus in the area of the pelvic floor or cavity.

The tissue still responds to hormone fluctuations. This can lead to swelling which can cause lower back pain in women. The most common symptoms include swelling, spotting between periods and severe menstrual cramps affecting the lower back.

Fractures After Menopause

According to recent research, it is believed that 25% of women may suffer from compression of the spine and vertebrae after menopause. In a worst-case scenario, this can lead to compression fractures.

One of the most common causes of compression fractures is osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis

What is osteoporosis? It is often called a calcium deficiency. As medicine has progressed, we have learned to recognise that it is much more than that. It is a general mineral deficiency and it is thought that it is related to both thyroid function and poor digestion. Both are common red flags in and around the time of the peri-menopause and menopause.

If you experience either or both, you should check your diet. Taking a good-quality mineral supplement is also a good idea.

Slipped Discs

Slipped discs are common in both sexes, but they seem to trouble women more. They may occur as a result of childbirth or hysterectomies.

The pain of a slipped disc is excruciating. Although the pain may be noticed in other parts of the spinal column, the first place women notice is in the lower back. The pain often manifests itself in the legs, pelvis, hips and legs.

The condition may not always be a result of childbirth or surgery. It is also common in women who do manual labour or sit for a long time daily. The health condition also has hereditary links which are yet to be confirmed. It can occur in more than one family member.

Piriformis Syndrome

This condition is often misdiagnosed as sciatica. It is in fact not a skeletal issue. Instead, it is caused by the piriformis muscle. This small but significant muscle helps to rotate the leg and foot outward.

It often presents with lower back pain and shooting pains down the legs. You are more likely to experience the condition if you are an athlete or do a lot of high-impact aerobics.

Sitting for an extended time is also a common reason behind the occurrence of piriformis syndrome.

Joint Inflammation

Women often suffer from joint inflammation more frequently than men do. A probable cause is fluctuating hormones.

Another common cause of joint inflammation in women is exercise or lack of exercise. When you do exercise, it is important to exercise in a safe way. High-impact aerobics are okay, but strictly speaking low-impact aerobics and other foam rolling exercises are better for you.

They are far more sustainable and are associated with fewer injuries. Many women who experience joint inflammation assume the pain originates in the lower back. It can present itself in the lower back, but the problem often starts in the hip area.

As the hip joints become painful, we start to move less. Eventually, the pain may even transfer itself to the lower back. If you do notice pain in the hip area, it is essential to visit a health professional as soon as possible.

A chiropractor is just as likely to help you to diagnose the condition as a medical doctor.

Once diagnosed, you need to change your exercise routine or look at other contributory factors including excess weight or obesity.

You should also consider wearing a back support when exercising. At no point should you stop exercising as it may do more harm than good.

Conclusion

Of course, sciatica is a condition that can also cause severe lower back pain. It is fairly common. A lot has been written about sciatica. We thought we would take the opportunity to put the spotlight on some of the other conditions causing back pain in women.

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