By EKalman April 12, 2024 - 12:33am

6 Causes For Lower Back Pain in Women
Lower back pain (LBP) is described as discomfort, muscle tension, or stiffness that occurs below the costal border of the ribs and above the inferior gluteal folds, with or without leg pain (sciatica). Many studies have found that women have a higher risk of lower back pain (LBP) than males. Females have a higher prevalence of pain for headaches, temporomandibular pain, migraines, burning mouth pain, neck pain, back pain, shoulder pain, knee pain, abdominal pain, and fibromyalgia than males in all age groups.

Men, on the other hand, are more likely to suffer from occupational lower back discomfort. Let’s examine why women are more likely to experience lower back pain.

1. Sacroiliac (SI) Joint Dysfunction
The female sacroiliac joint (SIJ) differs from men in that the sacrum is broader, posteriorly inclined, less curved, and has a more prominent sciatic notch and acetabula. As a result, the female SIJ experiences higher loads, stresses, and pelvic ligament strains. Increased pubic angle and reduced SIJ curvature enhance joint mobility, which may contribute to a higher incidence of pelvic stress fractures and SIJ discomfort. The variations in the SIJ between sexes may contribute to a higher rate of joint misalignment and instability in young and middle-aged women, with discomfort primarily originating on one side.

2. Menopause and Hormonal Issues
Women who transition from premenopause (generally between the ages of 45 and 55) to postmenopause experience reduced production of the female hormones estrogen and progesterone, which are produced by the ovaries. This process occurs gradually over time and is a regular aspect of aging.

Perimenopausal symptoms include spine and joint pain, hot flashes, night sweats, and chronic fatigue, as well as psychological symptoms such as anger and anxiety, mood swings, depression, and sleeping difficulties. Postmenopausal women are thought to have faster disc degeneration due to estrogen deprivation.

3. Intervertebral Disc Degeneration
Lumbar disc degeneration (DDD) is a common musculoskeletal disorder that worsens with age and can cause discs to shrink in height and stiffen. It can lead to nerve impingement, bone and joint inflammation, disc space narrowing and herniation, facet joint arthrosis, spinal canal stenosis, and degenerative spondylolisthesis (a vertebra moving forward).

4. Spinal osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is a disorder characterized by low bone mineral density (BMD) and micro-architectural bone degeneration. This leads to a reduction in bone mass, aberrant structure, lower bone strength, and an increased risk of fracture. One in three women and one in five males over the age of 50 suffer from osteoporotic fractures.

The disease of low bone mass and irregular bone structure might be asymptomatic, but clinical signs usually arise after a fracture. In osteoporosis, bone density and strength of the vertebral body are reduced by approximately 70% and 50%, respectively, compared to healthy people.

Even if bone mass declines owing to osteoporosis, the vertebral body can support up to 3 to 5 times the body weight.

5. Endometriosis
The endometrium is a tissue that lines the uterus. Endometriosis is a persistent disorder that causes lower back pain in women. It occurs when endometrium grows outside the uterus in the pelvic cavity or elsewhere. This tissue can react to hormonal fluctuations by causing swelling, discomfort, bleeding, and spotting between menstrual periods. The disorder might be challenging to identify because the symptoms differ, and other conditions can cause similar symptoms.

6. Pregnancy
Almost half of all pregnant women experience pain in their lumbosacral spine and pelvis. During this time, the body posture frequently changes as the center of gravity shifts and weight increases, resulting in the pelvis tilting forward and hyperlordosis in the lumbar spine.