Lower Back Pain in Women - Symptoms, Causes and Treatment Options

Lower Back Pain Conditions That Affect Women

Most people are suffering from lower back pain. Older folks refer to it as lumbago, a condition which the majority of the population is going to suffer at least once in their lifetime. An average four out of five adults will experience lower back pain. A study has shown that lower back pain in women is quite common and can make your life terrible. This is one of the most common reasons why people visit the doctor.

It is a leading cause of disability across the world. Most people have back pain at least once. However, you can take effective measures to prevent lower back and hip pain. If prevention fails, there are some home treatments and body mechanism through which you can lower the level of the pain in your back. Surgery is rarely needed to treat lower back pain.

What is Lower Back Pain?

It has been observed that 8 of 10 people generally complain about the back pain. You may feel sudden lower back pain, and the pain can be constant or sharp. The pain can last for around a few days or weeks. It may take months to get relief from the back pain.

In the condition of chronic pain and continuous sharp pain which can come and go, you should consult your doctor or a physician. Depending on the condition, you may be referred to a chiropractor, an osteopath or a spine specialist. But prefer to go through the treatments as soon as possible to prevent serious issues in the future.[1]

Who Can Get Affected by Back Pain?

There is no such specific cause related to lower back pain in women. You may be prone to lower back pain if you:

• Are getting older. This is a common complaint among older people, over 40 years of age.[2]
• Are living an inactive lifestyle. Such kind of lifestyle can weaken the back muscles.
• You have an excess weight which may lead to back pain
• Have a family history of lower back pain. The degenerative disc disease has a genetic component.
• Are a chain-smoker. Frequent smoking affects the flow of the blood to the back. The backbone will not get the required nutrition and will get a week with time.
• Are doing a job or task which involves heavy physical activities. While doing heavy weightlifting or using a sledgehammer, you need to sit or stand in the same position for a long time which can develop pain in your lower back region.
• Are pregnant. Because during this time the weight of your body will increase. That’s why back pain in women is quite common.

Characteristics of Lower Back Pain

Following are some common symptoms of lower back and hip pain:

• A light pain in the lower back are.
• You will feel a stabbing pain in the back which will move down to the leg and foot.
• You may not be able to stand up due to unbearable chronic pain.
• The motion and flexibility of your back will reduce greatly.

If strain and misuse is the reason behind the symptoms of lower back pain, then the symptoms may last for days or weeks. The chronic back pain can present for more than three to four months.

Symptoms of Lower Back Pain

You should visit your doctor if your sudden lower back pain does not improve within two weeks of arising. There are some conditions when the pain can be a symptom of a serious medical complication. Such as:

• Loss of bladder control.
• Numbness and severe weakness in the legs.
• A fall or a severe injury to the back.
• Constant pain which increases at night.
• Unexplained loss of body weight.
• Pain related to a shivering sensation in the abdomen area.
• Fever.

If you have such kinds of symptoms, it’s high time to consult with a doctor to get perfect treatments for your lower back pain.

Some Common Causes of Lower Back Pain

The most common reasons behind the lower back pain are the injuries caused after overuse of muscles, ligaments, and joints. Muscle sprains and strains occur when women do the sudden movement or improper lifting. It has seen that women, who carry extra weight around the wrist, generally suffer from the middle or lower back pain.

The excess weight pulls the pelvis forward, straining the lower back area.  Such a condition is more common among pregnant women. It can cause chronic discomfort, starting from the middle to lower back area. Maternity support belt can help you in this. Practice proper lifting techniques to lift objects. While doing activities use lumbar support belts.

In many situations of lower back pain, you can feel terrible discomfort in the lumbar area. The PID- Pelvic Inflammatory Disease can lead to pain in the lower stomach, abdomen and lower back. You may suffer from fever, vomiting, and fatigue. If not treated on time, it can cause untreatable damage to the female reproductive system. The treatment consists of antibiotic medication. In a serious condition, it may require surgery.[3]

Pancreatitis causes abdominal as well as lower back pain in women. This is the condition where there will be inflammation in the pancreas, which produces the hormones and enzymes necessary for food processing. Such a condition can arise suddenly along with vomiting and nausea. Women can feel a sudden lower back pain in such condition. Treating such condition involves several days in the hospital and you will get pain relief medications and fluids through an IV. If the gallbladder is damaged, it may require immediate surgery.

Sacroiliac joint dysfunction is another common reason behind lower back and hip pain among women. The damaged sacroiliac joint can develop discomfort and a burning sensation in the pelvis. Pregnant women suffer most from such condition. Women can use the SI joint belt to minimize the pain and to get comfortable.

Infection in the kidney such as pyelonephritis can cause pain in the lower back. The infection can also cause fever and frequent urination. Urination may occur with a burning sensation. Treatment of kidney infection involves the use of antibiotics, and in the serious condition, it can lead to hospitalization. It has seen that the pain is isolated to one side of the back. There could be a various reason for this, such as:

Under this condition, you will feel discomfort or mild to strong pain in sides, back and upper abdomen. This generally affects one side of the body; it can be on the right side or left side of the body. Many people have experienced some type of flank pain in their life. However, such type of pain is temporary but it persists for a long time, it can lead to serious health issues.

The sciatic nerve is a large nerve that extends from your lower back through each leg. Sciatica usually affects one side of the body, either left or right.

Effective Treatment for Lower Back Pain

In general cases, the lower back pain can be treated with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication, such as ibuprofen like Motrin and naproxen Aleve. Pain relief tablets such as acetaminophen can also be used for medication. Remember that medication should be taken with food. Or else they can affect the stomach lining. Excess use of medication can damage your kidney and stomach. Consult with the doctor before taking such medicines.

• Home remedies

Home remedies ice and heat therapy can be used to treat sudden lower back pain. Such therapy dramatically lowers the pain. Warm compresses relieve pain when inflammation has reduced. You can practice some exercises to enhance your posture and to strengthen the back muscles. The home treatments involve:

A physical therapist can assist you in performing exercises properly without damaging your back.

If all the treatment options fail to treat lower back and hip pain, the last option is lower back surgery. This is reserved for structural abnormalities such as severe or unbearable pain and weakness in muscles. The doctor may perform a spinal fusion surgery in which painful vertebrae are fused into a single solid bone. This surgery eliminates painful movement of your spine. There are some surgeries which are conducted to remove and replace discs and vertebrae. Such kind of surgery is for pain developed due to degenerative bone disease.

Lower back pain is very common, and you will find numerous products claiming prevention. But not all the products can prevent your lower back pain. The best thing that you can do is whenever you develop some symptom; consult with your doctor to get treatments.

References

1..https://www.spine-health.com/blog/7-back-pain-conditions-mainly-affect-women

2..https://www.researchgate.net/publication/282774507_Low_back_pain_in_women_before_and_after_menopause

3..https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4858456/