Lower Back Pain in Females

A large number of people everywhere have experienced lower back pain, as is often the case. Women, however, may face unique kinds of emotional eating, stemming from their particular physical and life circumstances.

When female patients have lower back pain, it can be anything from discomfort, aching, to sharp pains in their lumbar region, between their bottom rib cage and buttocks.

Some people feel pain that is a lingering background pain, while others suffer from sudden, unrelenting cramps.

What Causes Lower Back Pain in Females?

Though muscle strains and disc damage are frequent causes of lower back pain in everyone, conditions with neurological symptoms, like some overactive bladder problems, appear to be more specific to women:

• Sciatica: One classic neurological cause of lower back pain is pain that spreads along one leg. It involves the sciatic nerve, the body’s largest, being squeezed or irritated where it begins in the back. Since the uterus may compress a nerve during pregnancy, as well as other pelvic problems, sciatica is more common in women. Pain from a herniated disc is usually sharp, shooting, or burning, and is sometimes experienced as weakness, numbness, or tingling in the leg.

• Piriformis Syndrome: You can find the piriformis muscle buried deep within your buttock, close to the sciatic nerve. If the piriformis becomes tense or inflamed, it may squeeze the sciatic nerve which brings pain to the buttocks and low back that can move down the leg like sciatica. Researchers suggest anatomical or hormonal differences may make women more likely to develop this issue.

• Nerve Root Compression (Radiculopathy): When a disc, spinal stenosis or bone spur irritates or compresses the spinal nerve in the lumbar region, pain may result. The pain that comes after this risk is usually found along the nerve pathway and can be sharp, electric and creates numbness, tingling or weakness in the lower back, buttocks and legs. Even though pregnancy is more common for women, it can still add to their risk of disc problems.

• Endometriosis and Nerve Involvement: Despite being mainly a gynaecological concern, advanced endometriosis can form painful bindings and growths around nerves in the pelvic cavity such as those going to the lower back and legs. This may lead to chronic, constant lower back pain with a neuropathic (nerve-related) part and people often feel this as burning, shooting or tingling.

• Peripheral Neuropathy: While uncommon as the leading cause of lone lower back pain, some conditions affecting the whole body (peripheral neuropathy) can show as pain and tingling in the lower back and limbs. Gestational diabetes or diabetes that starts during pregnancy, some autoimmune diseases or deficiencies in vitamins can bring this about, and the symptoms or rate may differ for women.

Conclusion

As a condition, lower back pain in women may occur in many ways, one of which is related to nervous system issues. For a correct diagnosis, it is important to know that sciatica, piriformis syndrome, nerve root compression and nerve involvement in endometriosis are the main neurological causes.

If you have everyday pain in your lower back that becomes worse, lasts a while, or brings numbness, tingling, or weakness, it should be evaluated by a medical professional right away.

An accurate assessment may identify what is causing the neurological issue and direct the right, customised treatments to help reduce pain and aid recovery.

Dr. Navin Tiwari
Consulting Neurologist