Your Spine Is Under Pressure
Most people are unaware of the general geography of their organs, and you may be surprised to discover that the womb sits near the spine. In preparation for pregnancy, each time you have a period your womb becomes engorged, and this can push against the dense network of nerves surrounding your spine. This can result in back pain, neck pain and headaches.
Back Problems That May Affect Women More Often
A womans reproductive anatomy can sometimes contribute to her back pain, as weve seen. On the flipside, however, women can also be susceptible to degenerative conditions that affect the structure of the spine.
Back pain is quite common and the average patient experiences one to two episodes of low back pain per year. Low back pain can start in your 20s and can become a recurring problem which can be triggered by various events in life, notes Dr. Brian A. Cole, MD, FAAOS, orthopedic spine surgeon, Englewood Spine Associates, Englewood, NJ. Most back pain resolves by six weeks and is considered acute low back pain. When the pain lingers more than 12 weeks it is considered chronic low back pain.
What Are Treatments For Severe Period Pain
If your period pain is primary dysmenorrhea and you need medical treatment, your health care provider might suggest using hormonal birth control, such as the pill, patch, ring, or IUD. Another treatment option might be prescription pain relievers.
If you have secondary dysmenorrhea, your treatment depends upon the condition that is causing the problem. In some cases, you may need surgery.
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What Causes Back Pain Before A Period
Many women experience some degree of lower back pain before or around the beginning of their menstrual period. This pain is often part of their normal period or premenstrual syndrome . Less commonly, it is caused by a disorder such as endometriosis. The type of pain, when it occurs and associated symptoms may provide clues about the cause.
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How Long Period Pain Lasts
Period pain usually starts when your bleeding begins, although some women have pain several days before the start of their period.
The pain usually lasts 48 to 72 hours, although it can last longer. It’s usually at its worst when your bleeding is heaviest.
Young girls often have period pain when they begin getting periods. Read more about starting periods.
Period pain that does not have an underlying cause tends to improve as a woman gets older. Many women also notice an improvement after they’ve had children.
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What Are Some Tricks I Can Use At Home For Period Back Pain
In many cases, you can treat your typical monthly period back pain with home remedies. Here are some expert-recommended tips to soothe your back aches during that time of the month.
Why Do I Have Problems With My Bowels When I Have My Period
It is common to find that your bathroom habits change while you are menstruating. The hormones that regulate the menstrual cycle also affect the bowel. For example, your body produces a higher level of prostaglandins when you are menstruating. Prostaglandins are responsible for causing uterine contractions, but can also cause your bowels to contract. Right before your period starts, you also have an increase in progesterone, which can slow down your bowel contractions. Because of these chemical changes in your body, you may experience constipation or diarrhea.
Diarrhea
Many women find that they experience more frequent bowel movements during their periods, and many have episodes of diarrhea in the first day or two of menstruating. Ibuprofen works by blocking prostaglandin production, so if you have a lot of trouble with loose bowels, ibuprofen can help.
Constipation
Due to the slowing of bowel contractions just prior to menstruation, it is common for to experience constipation around the onset of your period. Be sure to drink lots of water, eat plenty of dietary fibre , and get some exercise to help alleviate the discomfort of constipation.
Existing bowel problems
If you have ongoing problems with your bowels, such as irritable bowel syndrome , your bowel symptoms may worsen during your period. You may also have more cramping and other PMS symptoms. Some women with IBS find that using the birth control pill improves the bowel symptoms associated with menstruation.
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What Are The Causes Of Painful Periods
Endometriosis
For more information on endometriosis, click here .
What is endometriosis? Endometriosis happens when the type of tissue that normally lines the uterus , grows in other places within her body, usually somewhere in the abdomen.
What causes endometriosis?The cause of endometriosis is not understood, there are several theories. In some women menstrual blood containing endometrial cells travels backwards, up through the fallopian tubes, and into the abdomen. In others, tissue of the type that normally lines the uterus, develops in other parts of the abdomen or pelvis. The tissue appears less responsive to the female hormone progesterone. A genetic factor has also been identified. Whatever the cause, in too many women the diagnosis comes late, after years of suffering. And early diagnosis is important.
What are the symptoms of endometriosis? The symptoms of endometriosis include painful menstrual cramps, painful intercourse, diarrhea, constipation, and nausea. The symptoms are different in different women.
How does endometriosis affect a womans health? Endometriosis can cause many problems for a women, apart from painful periods. Endometriosis can cause painful cysts on the ovaries, puckering ad scarring in the tissues that line the pelvis, and can affect other structures in the pelvis and abdomen, such as the fallopian tubes, the bladder the bowel, and the wall between the vagina and the rectum. In some cases endometriosis can impair fertility
Fibroids
Why Do I Get Back Pain During Pms
Period pain comes in many different forms, and lots of us will experience a little lower back ache before and during our period in the same way that we get tummy and sometimes pelvic pain. But for some people this can feel a lot worse, causing severe monthly lower back pain. Why? You guessed it, its our good friends hormones!
More specifically, its mostly down to an increase in hormones called prostaglandins. Though the two may seem unrelated, prostaglandins are released to promote the contraction of the uterus during your period to make it shed its lining, and these contractions can cause pain that travels to the lower back. Inflammation could also be a cause in one study, researchers found those with higher inflammatory markers during menstruation were more likely to have cramps and lower back pain.
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Tips To Reduce Lower Back Pain During Menstruation
May 4, 2016
Menstruation can consist of abdominal pain, bloating, and headaches for most women. In addition to the typical symptoms associated with the menstrual cycle, some women also suffer from low back pain. This low back pain can range from a subtle annoyance to debilitating pain during those days of the month. The pain experienced is typically located along the center portion of the low back. Back pain for most women will begin a few days prior to a menstrual cycle and usually subside after. The good news is that low back pain during menstruation is usually not serious and will subside for the most part.
If this type of pain interferes with activities of daily living during your menstrual cycle, its important to understand why it happens and how to cope with and manage the pain.
What Are The Side Effects Of These Treatment Options
As with any treatment, medications for treating back pain from periods carry side effects. NSAIDs, often the first line of treatment in cases of pain, generally carry minor side effects in the form of stomach pain and heartburn . COX-2 inhibitors can increase your risk of stroke and lead to abdominal pain, diarrhea , and dyspepsia . Oral contraceptive pills can cause nausea, headaches, and breakthrough bleeding . Surgery carries a risk of reaction to anesthesia as well as a risk of infection.
Consider your healthcare provider’s advice as you decide which treatment is right for you, and be sure to discuss all available options and their pros and cons. As you discuss your medical history, typical responses to medications, and current pain level, your doctor can help you determine the side effects that present the least risk to you personally.
Summary
Any medicinal or surgical intervention will come with a risk of side effects. Talk to your doctor about your concerns and let them help you determine the safest plan toward pain relief for you.
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Period Back Pain Causes And Remedies
You dont need a doctor to explain how bad menstrual back pain can be . When your back hurts so much that you feel like you can hardly walk, you know the pain all too well. Back pain or pelvic pain is a common symptom of your period.
Different women experience pain, especially period pain, in varying ways. But hopefully your back period pain is not severe enough to interfere greatly with your life. How do you know what pain is normal, and when you should call the doctor?
Read on to learn more about the causes of back pain during menstruation and what you can do to relieve your symptoms.
How To Manage Severe Lower Back Pain During Your Period
The following may be able to help with severe lower back pain during your period:
- Pain medication Taking over-the-counter pain medication or anti-inflammatories a few days before your period may alleviate lower back pain. If your pain doesnt get better with over-the-counter pain medication, consult your health care provider.
Some of these methods may also ease abdominal cramps, which commonly affect lower back pain:
- Heat Applying a warm water bottle or heating pad on the lower back may help reduce back pain during your period.
- Warm shower or bath Taking a warm shower or bath may help you relax and relieve back pain during your period.
- Massage Gently massaging the abdomen and lower back may also relieve back pain.
- Exercise Regular physical activity may help with the pain during your period. Although its easy to be tempted to avoid exercising during your period, physical activity can help reduce lower back pain. Try gentle exercises such as walking, cycling, and swimming. You can talk to a health care provider to determine what physical activity is best for you.
- Relaxation techniques Relaxation activities such as meditation may help distract you from feelings of discomfort and pain.
Some lifestyle changes may also affect pain during your period.
- Maintain a healthy diet and talk to a health care provider about taking nutritional supplements with vitamin B and magnesium.
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When Should I Get Medical Help For My Period Pain
For many women, some pain during your period is normal. However, you should contact your health care provider if:
- NSAIDs and self-care measures don’t help, and the pain interferes with your life
- Your cramps suddenly get worse
- You are over 25 and you get severe cramps for the first time
- You have a fever with your period pain
- You have the pain even when you are not getting your period
Remedies For Hip Pain During Periods
A lot of remedies are out there for hip pain during periods.
There are various ways of treating this problem but you will find that they all require certain techniques.
So before you start using any remedy, always make sure that it is completely safe for you to use.
These remedies for hip pain during periods are very useful and can help you a lot in your daily life.
It is very common to have pains in the hip but most of the time they are not serious.
And may only last for a few days.
There are certain remedies for hip pain during periods, which can ease your discomfort.
And help you get back on your feet as soon as possible.
Read on to discover the most effective ones.
The first one is proper eating habits.
Eating healthy and maintaining a healthy diet will help you fight off any problems.
It is also necessary to drink a lot of water during these periods as well as exercise regularly.
This will help you tone up the muscles around the hip.
Do not forget to take good sleep at night.
Your sleeping pattern will affect your overall health, so it is important to sleep well.
If you have a fever or the pain is increasing.
It is better to see a doctor rather than make the mistake of trying out some remedies for hip pain during periods which can make things worse.
Some people may try to cure the pain by themselves
However, the problem will get worse if the patient is not really aware of what to do when it comes to curing themselves.
While drugs may cause more harm than good.
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Your Cramps Are Spreading To Your Back
During your period, the wall of your womb begins to contract more vigorously than it does during the rest of the month in order to shed its lining. This means that the blood vessels are compressed and the oxygen supply to your womb is temporarily cut off. Without oxygen, your womb will release pain-inducing chemicals which you feel as period cramps.1
On top of all that, women who have back pain during their period are sometimes said to experience referred pain, as these uterine contractions radiate through the web of nerves in the pelvic region and reach the back muscles.2 Phew!
Is This Pain Ever A Problem
Its normal to have back pain during your period. However, if pain or severe cramps show up out of nowhere, you might want to visit your doctor. There may be underlying problems that are causing the back pain, and not necessarily your menstrual cycle itself. Some examples of a secondary cause is endometriosis and fibroids.
Your back pain may be a cause for concern if:
-
You’ve started having back pain during your period, but you never used to
-
The pain is constant throughout your menstrual cycle
-
The pain is severe
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Tips To Reduce Painful Cramping And Low Back Pain:
- Some women benefit from starting over-the-counter acetaminophen or anti-inflammatories, such as ibuprofen or naproxen, a couple of days prior to menstruation.
- Exercise regularly. Studies show that women who exercise on a regular basis have less painful menstrual cramps and low back pain.
- Maintain a healthy diet and take nutritional supplements with vitamin B and magnesium
- Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated.
- Apply heat or take warm baths.
- Avoid caffeine and chocolate.
- Avoid alcohol intake and smoking.
- Some women may require birth control pills to help with menstrual pain.
If your low back pain lingers past the menstrual cycle or you develop leg pain or weakness, you should seek medical attention, as this may be more than the typical low back pain stemming from prostaglandin release during menstruation.
You Have Celiac Disease
Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder where eating gluten causes serious damage to the small intestine.
Many health care practitioners dont realize that the symptoms of celiac disease can vary, so many people go undiagnosed. In fact, less than half of people with celiac disease have the classic symptoms of GI pain and diarrhea.
Skin rashes, neurological symptoms, fatigue, painful sex and menstrual pain can all be clues that you have celiac disease or gluten sensitivity. Remember, anything that causes inflammation in the gut will cause inflammation in the rest of your body!
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Period Pain Caused By A Medical Condition
Less commonly, period pain can be caused by an underlying medical condition.
Period pain linked to an underlying medical condition tends to affect older women. Women aged 30 to 45 are most commonly affected.
Medical conditions that can cause period pain include:
- endometriosis where cells that normally line the womb grow in other places, such as in the fallopian tubes and ovaries these cells can cause intense pain when they shed
- fibroids non-cancerous tumours that can grow in or around the womb and can make your periods heavy and painful
- pelvic inflammatory disease where your womb, fallopian tubes and ovaries become infected with bacteria, causing them to become severely inflamed
- adenomyosis where the tissue that normally lines the womb starts to grow within the muscular womb wall, making your periods particularly painful