Treat Menopause Lower Back Pain on Time to Live a Comfortable Life

Lower Back Pain in Women Before and After Menopause

What do you mean by menopause? This is quite common, and menopause is the cessation of a woman's monthly blood flow. Chemotherapy interferes with regular hormonal functions, menopause generally occurs at the end of a process, and that can last for months to years. During such process, the periods can become irregular, and as a woman, you can experience other symptoms of menopause.

When you are experiencing symptoms but has not yet been without periods for 12 months, you have perimenopause. Generally, menopause comprises three phases, i.e., perimenopause, menopause, and postmenopausal. During such period you can deal with mood swings, hot flashes, less-sleep, and lower sex drive.

But when the body’s hormones decrease, it can lead to spine and joint pain which may include lower back pain in women, carpal tunnel syndrome, and arthralgia. But there are some treatments by which you deal with such condition during your menopause time. Go through the article to know more about it.

What is Menopause Back Pain?

During the menopause time, a women’s health goes through a lot of changes. There will be an imbalance in hormone, and some of them are noticeable. For example, stiffness in joints and muscles, weight gain and some other. It is because of the latter menopause symptoms which cause extreme lower back pain. However, the pain is not limited to your lower back. Besides the lower back, you may feel pain in your shoulders, joints and the muscles.[1]

Causes Behind the Menopause Back Pain

• One of the most major causes of lower back pain in women during menopause is tension and stress. Generally, menopause changes make women feel more high-strung and anxious. Besides, today’s hectic lifestyle increases stress levels which in turn can lead to agonizing pain.
• Another reason for menopause back pain is lack of exercise and inactivity. Generally, during menopause, most of the women feel exhausted and fatigued. This lowers the energy level, further lowering their activity. But you should practice mild exercises during such a condition.
• The imbalance in hormones can cause lower back pain in women during menopause. The natural process of synthesizing and releasing some substance from the gland become consistent during menopause which develops pain in the body’s different part.

Some Other Causes Behind the Lower Back Pain

Strain

Lower back pain in women can also develop from the strain, tension, or injury. Common causes are:

• Strained muscles.
• Muscle spasm.
• Muscle tension.
• Fractured disks.
• Injuries, fractures, or falls.

Activities that can lead to Strains

• Lifting something in the wrong way.
• Lifting heavy item.
• Making an awkward movement.

Risk Factors of Lower Back Pain

• Some occupational activities.
• During pregnancy.
• An inactive lifestyle.
• Lack of physical fitness.   
• Older age.
• Excess weight and obesity.
• Smoking.
• Genetic factors.
• Some medical condition like cancer and arthritis.

Lower back pain is more common in women than in men, due to the hormonal factors.[2]

Symptoms of Lower Back Pain

The primary symptom of lower back pain in women is an ache or pain in the back. Sometime you may feel a terrible pain in legs and buttocks. It has seen that in some case the pain generally goes away within a few months without any treatment or medication. But if you have the following symptoms then you should consult with your doctor:

• Excessive loss of your body weight.
• Mild to severe fever along with body ache.
• Inflammation or swelling on the back of the body.
• If you feel pain on the back while lying down or sitting.
• The pain goes down to the legs and then reaches the knees.
• Urinary incontinence and if you a facing issue during urination.
• A feeling of numbness around the genitals, buttocks and the anus.
• The ache in the back muscle.
• The feeling of a shooting or stabbing pain.
• Pain that worsens when you bend, lift, stand or walk.
• Pain which improves with reclining.

When You Should Visit Your Doctor?

Most of the lower back pain goes with home treatment and self-care within two to three weeks. If the condition doesn’t improve, then you should see a doctor for immediate lower back pain treatment. In some cases, lower back pain can lead to serious health issues. You should seek medical treatment if the lower back pain:

• Causes the bladder problems.
• If you have a  fever.
• Arises after a fall, blow to your back or due to some other types of injury.
• Is severe and you are not getting comfortable when resting.
• Moves down one or both legs and below the knee.
• Leads numbness and weakness.
• Is the reason behind your weight loss?

Besides all these possibilities, you should consult with the doctor if your lower back pain starts after age 50, or if you have a history of cancer, osteoporosis, or steroid use.[3]

Treatments for Menopause Lower Back Pain

Menopauses lower back pain treatment is different from the treatment option for general lower back pain. First, let’s look into the treatment options for menopause lower back.

• There are a lot of medicines and prescribed amphetamines which are very helpful in reducing the pain level of back pain during menopause. For a more effective treatment, you can go for an advanced solution and natural remedies which are widely available.
• A healthy and nourishing diet is quite important during menopause. The diet list must include fruits and vegetables. You should start consuming omega acids in the form of fish oil and other major supplemental products. During such a condition don't eat carbs.
• Vitamin-D and calcium supplements can prevent the occurrence of menopause symptoms and its side effects.
• There are some herbal supplements which can be much effective in controlling the imbalance in hormones during menopause. You can use those herbal supplements, but prefer to consult with the doctor before that. Having a diet rich with important minerals such as magnesium and potassium is quite helpful in preventing the side effects from becoming much severe.

Some Other Treatment Options

• Home remedies or treatments
  

While suffering from low back pain, you can go for OTC- Over-the-counter pain relief medication which includes NSAID drugs. The Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs include ibuprofen. It lowers the level of discomfort. You can apply hot and cold therapy to the affected area to get relief from pain. Don’t do straining activities. But a small walk in a day can ease the stiffness and lower the pain in the back.

• Medical treatment

If you don’t get any result from home treatment, you may need to consult with a doctor for effective lower back pain treatment. Medical treatment may include:

• Medication
  

Lower back pain which does not react well to OTC painkillers can require a prescription NSAID. This can include narcotic medicines like codeine or hydrocodone. The doctor may prescribe to take the medication for a few weeks. However, these require a close monitoring by the doctor. In some extreme lower back pain case, muscle relaxants will be used. The doctor may prescribe antidepressants like amitriptyline. But there is no guarantee about the result and effectiveness.

• Physical therapy

Physical therapy may include heat and ice therapy, ultrasound, and electrical stimulation. You can use some muscle-release techniques to erase the pain. After some days, your physical therapist can introduce some exercise to improve flexibility and strength of your back and abdominal muscles. You can practice some techniques to improve your sitting and standing posture. The doctor will encourage you to practice the techniques on a regular basis, even after the pain has gone. So that you can prevent the low back pain in the future.

However, it is important to know what causes the back discomfort to treat the problem effectively.

References

1..https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4612559/

2..https://backpainok.com/blog/women-experience-menopause-pain/

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