Back pain during menstruation: causes, ways to overcome and prevent it

Back pain or pain is one of the many problems that plague women when their monthly guests come. Back pain during menstruation is usually centered in the lower back (back), just above the buttocks. If back pain interferes with menstrual activities, find out some effective ways to relieve your complaints.

Causes of back pain during menstruation

Back pain is part of the symptoms of pain during menstruation, aka dysmenorrhea (dysmenorrhea) most commonly reported by women of childbearing age. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists says, more than half of women who menstruate experience dysmenorrhea for 1-2 days every month.

Pain usually occurs just before menstruation starts, when prostaglandin levels rise in the lining of the uterus. Levels will be highest on the first day of menstruation. This increase in prostaglandins aims to trigger the uterus to contract to shed its walls.

The more prostaglandins produced, the stronger the effect of menstrual pain will be. Uterine contractions also cause not only a cramping effect on the stomach, but also pain that spreads to the waist and all over the legs.

Symptoms of back pain during menstruation

Back pain is a common complaint with many causes. However, when back pain occurs due to menstruation, it will usually be accompanied by other symptoms in the form of:

Cramps and dull pain in the lower abdominal area
Pain or pain in the area of the waist and back that spreads to the legs
Nausea
Gag
Feeling tired and weak
Diarrhea
Fainting, if the pain is so intense

As the day progresses, the prostaglandin levels will then decrease according to your menstrual cycle. Abdominal cramps and back pain will usually subside when prostaglandin levels drop and menstruation is over.

Back pain during menstruation can be triggered by reproductive problems

Back pain is part of the body's natural reaction before menstruation. On the other hand, back pain during menstruation can signal problems in the female reproductive organs. Menstrual pain caused by certain health problems is often referred to as secondary dysmenorrhea.

Secondary dysmenorrhea pain often lasts longer with a greater pain intensity than normal menstrual cramps. Pain can even start a few days before menstruation begins. The pain may get worse as the menstrual period continues and may not go away immediately after the end of the period.

In many women, menstrual pain generally will gradually improve as you get older. However, the pain from secondary dysmenorrhea tends to get worse as women get older. Secondary dysmenorrhea is more common in women in adulthood, than women in young adolescents and ABG.

Some of the conditions that can cause secondary dysmenorrhea and severe back pain during menstruation include:

Infections of the uterus.
Uterine fibroids: These are benign tumors that are above or inside the uterine muscles
Endometriosis: uterine lining tissue growing outside the uterine organs.
Adenomysis: uterine lining tissue growing in the uterine muscles.
Pelvic inflammation (PID): a bacterial infection that attacks the reproductive organs and urinary system.
as well as other reproductive organ problems.

Back pain during menstruation caused by various reproductive disorders can give rise to other typical symptoms mentioned above.

How to deal with back pain during menstruation

Regardless of the cause, back pain that occurs during menstruation is quite easy to treat at home.

Here are some tips that you can try when low back pain strikes:

1. Stretch

Simple stretches to simply change positions can help relieve menstrual cramps and lumbago.

Try sitting or standing straight and then rotating your body alternately to the right and left. You can also do this while lying down.

The alternative: still in a lying position, pull your knees to your chest and hold them tight for a few moments.

2. Compress or take a warm bath

If stretching is not enough, you can continue by compressing the waist with a warm washcloth.

Warm compresses can widen blood vessels so that blood flow and oxygen supply more easily reach the affected area. This will help relax muscles that are tense and stiff due to excessive contractions, thereby reducing pain.

Soak a washcloth in a basin of warm (40-50º Celsius) water and squeeze out any excess water. Then stick it on the waist for 10-15 minutes. Alternatively, you can take a warm bath.

3. Eat chocolate bars

One trick, two or three islands pass by with this one trick. While satisfying your sweet cravings, you can simultaneously relieve back pain during menstruation by eating dark chocolate (dark chocolate).

Dark chocolate is high in antioxidants that are anti-inflammatory and are a natural pain reliever.

4. Exercise regularly

Summarizing various sources of research, regular exercise can reduce the intensity of back pain during menstruation because the body will continue to produce endorphins.

Endorphins are chemicals the brain produces to relieve pain naturally from within.

Regular exercise also helps improve blood circulation to the painful area to reduce swelling and inflammation.

Basically, all types of physical activity are good for you to do during menstruation. However studies show that sports such as yoga, jogging, cycling, running, swimming, and walking are the best sports choices for women who are menstruating.

5. Medicines

The last way you can try if your back pain while menstruation continues to bother you is to take non-prescription pain relievers, such as naproxen or ibuprofen. Both are anti-inflammatory drugs that help relax the muscles thereby relieving pain.

Use the lowest dosage to be safe. However, you should still consult your doctor before using any medications during your period.

If back pain when menstruation is unbearable, you should consult your doctor.

How to prevent back pain during menstruation

Back pain during menstruation is often unavoidable. However, it doesn't hurt for you to do preventative tricks to relieve pain that feels in the back. Some of the precautions that can be done are

Keep the diet

You can try a diet to prevent back pain when menstruating. Foods that can be chosen are those that are high in fiber and minimally processed. Food and fruit choices are brown rice, chicken, fish, broccoli, almonds, papaya, and others.

Drink enough water

Apparently, drinking water can help the body not feel bloated during menstruation. In addition, warm water can relieve cramps and back pain during menstruation. This is because warm water can increase blood flow and relax cramped muscles.

Take vitamins or supplements

In addition to pain relievers, you can also regularly take vitamins or supplements regularly to prevent back pain during menstruation. Vitamins that you can try are vitamin B6, vitamin B1, vitamin E, and omega 3.