UNDERSTANDING BACK PAIN IN WOMEN.
What is back pain actually? Back pain is a symptom of the underlying medical conditions. We can divide the back into two, the upper back and lower back. How focus is more on lower back pain.
Pain may result from all structures forming the back from muscles, bones, joints, nerves, ligaments, inter-vertebral disc among others. However pain can result from internal organs and be referred to the back thus causing lower back pain. Back pain can be localized (presenting only at the back) or referred to the buttocks, thighs or legs. Let’s look at some of the causes/risk factors of back pain in women
PREGNANCY: A lot of changes take place during pregnancy, these changes may result to chronic back pain in the future. Release of relaxin hormone, which aids in muscle relaxation during delivery, results to week abdominal muscles. If abdominal muscle strengthening is not done, it will result to muscle imbalances between abdominal and back muscles. During pregnancy, women adopt different posture which puts a lot of strain at the back. Increased weight also puts a lot of pressure on the spine. Combining the two, leads to pain at the back due to nerve compression. Failure to strengthen the abdominal and back muscles after delivery results to back pain worsened by poor back posture.
OVERWEIGHT/OBESITY: over and over we have said increase in body weight subjects you to back pain. Overweight/Obesity doesn’t only increase your chances to back pain but also many other lifestyle diseases like diabetes type 2, hypertension among others. Increase in weight puts strain in your back and disrupts normal weight transmission to the lower body. Increased strain causes back pain.
HIGH HEELS AND SHOES THAT DO NOT PROVIDE ADEQUATE SUPPORT: its fashion and they make our ladies look lovely, however as a medical professional I have to give you medical advice based on evidence. Prolonged usage of high heels will result to back pain. You will have noticed, when you are wearing them for the first time you may have experienced calf muscle pain. High heels result to poor posture thus resulting to pain. They also result in shortening of calf muscle and back muscles, this results to strain in the spinal nerves that causes back pain.
POOR POSTURE. Poor posture may result from either occupation or daily routine activities. Activities that strain the spine or cause shift in the alignment of the spine will result to back pain and discomfort. Long hours of sitting results to muscle weakness and de-conditioning of spinal muscles. Weak spinal muscles cannot support your weight, which intern results to compensation to support your weight during movement thus poor posture which will result to back pain.
HEAVY LIFTING. Not common in this generation of women, however most of our mothers used to do heavy lifting, which might be the cause of their current back pain. Poor heavy lifting may result to muscle straining which results to pain at the back. We shall look at the safe weighs of lifting objects from the ground in our subsequent posts.
OTHER MEDICAL CONDITIONS: osteoporosis is common among women above 40 years old. Osteoporosis makes your spine weak and may start to collapse. This will result to spinal nerve compression thus pain. Spinal osteoarthritis or degeneration of vertebra bones can cause back pain. Pain can also be referred from internal organs.
I regard back pain as a lifestyle condition thus any risk factors to lifestyle disease like physical inactivity can be a risk factor. Lifestyle disease can be prevented and we all should prevent them.
If you can prevent it, you better do. Pain is not a lifestyle.
