Back pain as everybody knows is a symptom of a variety of medical conditions. Back pain can affect men & women, but there are some that affect women more than men. There are many ways that back pain can stem from, like a woman’s reproductive anatomy or their spinal anatomy
Based on research, there seems to be 60-80% of people experience low back pain in their lifetime & it is slightly more common in women. There is also an increase in back pain in women post-menopause age.
We have listed some possible causes of back pain in women and their reasons.
When estrogen is low, there is increased degradation of the vertebral disc and loosening of the ligaments that hold the vertebrae together—causing spinal instability. The degeneration causes your spine to slip over the ones below it.
The causes of degenerative spondylolisthesis are:
Wear and tear arthritis (osteoarthritis) of the facet joints (joints that connect your vertebrae) is common in women. Spinal osteoarthritis causes a breakdown of the fibrous cartilage in the facet joints. Without the cushioning provided by the cartilage, your bones may rub together, causing pain.
This can cause –
Osteoporosis occurs when there is a higher rate of bone loss compared to new bone formation. When the density of your bone decreases it makes it brittle and susceptible to fracture.
Post-menopausal women of age are 4 times more likely to develop osteoporosis than men. This may be due to the deficiency of the estrogen, loss of bone at a younger age, or at a more rapid pace.
Osteoporosis can cause compression fractures in your spine, which can result in –
Mid-back or Lower back – Acute pain, this pain may be confused for a heart or lung problem.
This condition occurs when tissue that behaves like endometrial tissue grows outside of the uterus, in the pelvic cavity or other areas. It can cause swelling, pain, spotting between periods, and bleeding due to the response to the body's hormonal changes by the displaced tissue.
It’s symptoms include:
Pain occurs during –
The condition can present as lower back or buttock pain that can radiate down the legs. Sacroiliac joint dysfunction is characterized by inflammation occurring in the sacroiliac joints, located at the connection of the pelvis and lower spine.
The SI joint dysfunction causes:
– –
There are also other female problems that cause lower back pain like –
These typical changes in a woman’s life cycle can trigger a cascade of events leading to back pain.
Persistent pain should not be ignored because it may be due to something more serious than a sprain or strain, like sciatica, a ruptured disc or infection. Sharp pain that comes on suddenly should not be ignored either. Contacting your doctor is important when the pain becomes severe. Take action before it gets out of hand.
