Back Pain: An Alarming and Growing Concern in Women

Many reports have shown that almost 72% of people suffer from backache. Out of this population, approximately 60% are women. Back pain is becoming a major concern that is increasing daily. It is important to stress more upon this issue more because oftentimes women ignore this sign and take it as an issue that will resolve itself. While that may be true, it can be a cause of many issues and syndromes that people aren’t aware of.

The Health Capital chose back pain. It refers to the physical uneasiness or pain in the back or spine, which varies from mild pain to disabling pain. Back pains are talked about in society, among normal conversations, but its consequences and the various diseases it brings are often ignored, especially by women. Therefore, it is necessary to talk about it, the causes of back pain and the remedies for back pain.

Who Experiences Back Pain?

Back pain is a common cause with broad effects in the medical field. It depends on a lot of factors, like the age of the person and the kind of back pain that one is going through. The various kinds of backaches can range from Axial Pain, Referred Pain to Radicular Pain. Why is it important to know what kind of pain a female is experiencing? The assessment, tests and diagnosis of the problem are based on your description of the problem. Therefore knowing whether your back is axial, referred or radicular, makes the diagnosis of the issue easier.

There are other causes as well. Firstly, the causes can be commonly categorized into two– mechanical or non-specific. Secondly, it can cause many issues and disabilities that may persist from childhood to adulthood. Therefore, it is important to evaluate and get medical assistance for the pain. It will prevent and save one from a dangerous, damaging and deteriorating condition, like paralysis, disability, or other diseases.

Causes of Back Pain: Why do you experience backache?

The causes of back pain in females or the reasons for backaches can be many. These reasons cover a wide spectrum but numerous surveys and innumerable medical reports have given us some major and common reasons that can be responsible for back aches. These causes are listed below

1. Heavy lifting

This is one of the major causes of backaches in women. Lifting of heavy materials, for instance, household materials, leads to women facing a strain on their backs. Sudden movement or lifting of heavy items can lead to sprains in spinal ligaments which causes muscle spasms. Therefore, it is advised for people with back problems not to lift anything heavy as it can be disastrous for their back.

2. Wrong Posture

In today’s modernized world where everyone is glued to their screens, posture and screen time have an inversely proportional relation. More screen time leads to a less healthy posture. It leads to the tightening of muscles around your spine which ultimately results in tightness in the muscles of your back.

3. Pregnancy

During this time, the ligaments of a female’s body stretch and become softer to prepare her for labour. Therefore, this can put a strain on one’s back and become one of the causes of back pain in females.

4. Pre-Menstrual Syndrome

PMS or Pre-Menstrual Syndrome is a common thing in females. The symptoms of PMS occur right before a female is about to get her period. Accompanying backaches, other symptoms include fatigue, headache, nausea in some cases, and many more.

5. Endometriosis

Imagine PMS becoming an updated and ultra version of itself. That updated and severe form is known as Endometriosis. This calls for medical attention and must be taken care of. This syndrome occurs when the tissue that usually makes the lining of the uterus grows outside of the uterus. Other than back distress, menstrual irregularities are one of the major symptoms of this syndrome.

6. Disc Degeneration

This isn’t commonly a disease but rather a symptom of ageing. It’s a term that describes normal changes in a female’s spinal discs as she ages. It starts around the age of 20-25 but young adults don’t normally complain about the pain, for it takes time for spinal discs to wear down. Thus, it is more common in elderly people.

What can Back Pain be a Symptom of?

Back pain can be a symptom of many injuries and diseases. Usually, it gets ignored as a common pain, which ultimately results in neglect of serious medical damages. Therefore, it becomes important to comprehend the various damages that accompany backache.

1. Piriformis Syndrome

Pain originating from spasms in your piriformis muscle, a large muscle located deep in the buttock, is called piriformis syndrome. Their symptoms usually get better when you rest. The sensation of pins and needles is also common in piriformis syndrome, along with pain in the back and buttocks. It is common in adults (41-60) and seniors (60+).

2. Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction

Improper movement of the joints at the bottom of the spine that connects the sacrum to the pelvis. It can result in pain in the low back and legs, or inflammation of the joints known as sacroiliitis. SI joint problems are among the more common causes pain in lower section .

3. Degenerative Spondylolisthesis

When a vertebra in your spine slips over the one below it due to degeneration, it is called degenerative spondylolisthesis. The condition is more common in post-menopausal women due to lower levels of estrogen. Backache happens to be a major symptom.

4. Coccydynia

It is more common in women due to the differences in the shape and angle of the pelvis or from injury during childbirth. The coccyx is responsible for weight-bearing support in a sitting position. Often, pain is felt while sitting, or standing from a seated position. The pain can be relieved when standing. This pain is typically the result of injury or chronic irritation.

5. Cancers

Certain spinal cancers and uterine cancers (like cancer of the cervix, cancer or endometriosis) can cause severe and long-standing pain. They are commonly referred to as the pain of metastatic breast or lung cancer.

Remedies for Back Pain: How to Fix Backache?

Once we have identified the causes of back pain in females and problems that can arise because of it, looking at the solutions or remedies for the pain will be beneficial for one’s health and treatment. There are some things which can be done. The remedies for back pain or treatment of back aches can be broadly categorized into two- home remedies for back pain (simple methods in case the pain is minor) and medical remedies for it (medication/treatment/surgeries in case the pain is linked to a major health issue).

1. Home Remedies of Back Pain

There are several home remedies for minor back pains, that may have been caused due to pregnancy, lifting a heavy weight, or muscle sprain. Various home remedies can help in relieving backache.

• Using ice packs or heating pads on your back helps to relieve pain and causes muscles to relax. For back pain that may have been caused by heavy lifting, using ice packs can help relieve it. This is one of the basic and common remedies for back pain.
  
• Over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications are a class of therapeutic drugs that help in relieving pain, fever, etc. For backache, using OTC anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen and naproxen may help.
  
• Certain stretches can also help in reducing pain. For example, a child pose is really helpful for back pain. However, these must be done with several discretions. This is one of the helpful remedies for tension in your back.
  
• Rest is the ultimate way to look after back pain. It allows your muscles to relax.

2. Medical Remedies of Back Pain

When the back pain becomes major, then home remedies for back pain are not enough to treat this issue. Since we know that any pain arising in the muscles of your back or spine can cause many diseases and injuries, it is important to seek medical attention if the back pain is major.

• Physiotherapy can help in improving back pain. It allows for the movement of joints and muscles and is considered to be one of the most effective ways to treat lower back pain. It also reduces the possibility of pain in future.
  
• Rheumatologists are likely to serve as your primary back care specialists if your pain is related to certain types of arthritis, such as ankylosing spondylitis.
  
• Chiropractors are highly effective in treating lower back pain. They adjust the body to improve alignment, regain movement in the spine or joint and ease the pain. This is called spinal adjustment.
  
• Osteopathy involves slow and rhythmic stretching, known as mobilization, pressure or indirect techniques, and manipulation of joints and muscles. So orthopaedics can help with joint and muscle injuries and osteoarthritis.
  
• Surgeries become necessary for back pain in terms of major problems. For example, a Discectomy is performed to relieve pressure on the root of a nerve due to a bulging disc or bone spur. This is done by taking a part of the damaged disc out. Other surgeries include bone fusion and laminectomy.

When does Back Pain Call for Medical Attention?

While back pain can be treated with home remedies and exercise for back pain, several signs directly point to the need for a medical supervisor. Many women are unaware of these signs; thus, they tend to neglect the major health issues related to back pain. The most common signals which tell you to look out for your health are listed below –

• If your pain lasts for more than a week, then it is time to call a doctor. Usually, backaches subside after a few days.
  
• If your pain extends to other parts, then it might be time for medical assistance. This can be a sign of sciatica, a type of pain that affects the sciatic nerve. It usually arises from a herniated disc.
  
• If the pain persists even after taking OTC medication and is accompanied by tingling, numbness or weakness, then it is time to approach a doctor for this could be a sign of nerve damage.
  
• If there is back pain that has persisted for quite some time after an accident, then it is time to take medical attention into account. This could probably be a sign of fracture that needs to be addressed.
  
• One should seek a doctor immediately if she is facing difficulty in bowel movement or urination. This could be a symptom of cauda equina syndrome, where the nerves in the lower spine have become paralyzed. Surgeries have to be performed to rectify this illness and if left untreated, it could lead to permanent damage.
  
• If one starts to lose weight unexpectedly that is not justified or reasonably accompanied by distress in the back, then it is a sign of the body to go for a health check-up.
  
• When backache is accompanied by a fever, people generally take OTC medication. However, when the fever is not responsive to OTC medication, then it is time to visit a doctor as this could be a signal of some serious infection.

Back Pain: Not the End-All or Be-All

Though many diseases present that are associated with backaches, it doesn’t mean that these diseases cannot be cured. The Health Capital wishes to spread more awareness about common issues that interfere with women’s day-to-day lives and their common routines. Issues related to the back have been prominent in a woman’s life. Focussing on its intricate aspects is important for understanding the various health issues that accompany back pain.

There are many spectrums of back pain. How can one avoid it? Exercise and yoga are highly effective in doing so. For instance, Surya namaskar is an effective yoga exercise which looks after your back. When it comes to improving posture (because a bad posture causes backache), a plank is a perfect way to do this. There are back belts which help in improving back aches.

The main purpose of the blog is to simply identify the pains, the causes and the remedies for back pain in females. It is to make everyone aware of these issues and bring them forward in front of everyone. If at the end of the day, women read this blog and are able to identify their issues, we will be successful in our task.

How can The Health Capital Help?

The Health Capital provides a medium to analyze your health, whether it be mental, physical or reproductive. In the case of discomfort in the back, if one feels the need for analysing the health issues related to it or analyzing their back pain, The Health Capital puts forward a wonderful way through which one can do this. Our Free Health Analysis Tests are a wonderful way through which women can analyze their health issues.

The motive that The Health Capital wishes to achieve is solely to make everyone knowledgeable of the many problems that can arise due to back pain while covering the other important aspects too. This issue may or may not be a major one. But one should be informed about the various health issues that can arise because of back aches.

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