Many women suffer from back pain that is concentrated in the low back and lumbar region. Some resign themselves to it, others ask the doctor for advice and are disappointed when the annoying discomfort often returns after treatment. To be clear from the outset, low back pain is not a disease, but only a symptom that can hide a wide variety of diseases of the spine, feet and legs, abdomen, kidneys, nerves and muscles.
Anatomy of the female back muscles.
Many women suffer from back pain that is concentrated in the low back and lumbar region. However, often they just indicate that the back muscles are incorrectly loaded, resulting from the peculiarities of the female physique, pregnancy and childbirth consequences, or an incorrect lifestyle. Only such “static” complaints will be discussed in the following. If one compares the physique of men and women, it is noticeable that the torso is more pronounced in women, whereas in men it is the extremities. The torso of the woman has a smaller chest portion, but a larger abdominal portion and a longer lumbar region than the man. Without the larger abdominal region, the woman could not carry a pregnancy to term. However, the longer abdomen and lumbar region means that the lumbar spine is already more stressed in the non-pregnant state and even more so, of course, during pregnancy. Also adapted to the requirements of reproduction is the structure of the female pelvis. It is lower, wider and more spacious than the more funnel-shaped pelvis of the male. The lowest lumbar vertebra also protrudes less into the pelvic clearing in women than in men. As a result, there is room for the birth of a child. In addition, in the sexually mature female, the connections between the pelvic bones and vertebrae never reach the strength as in the male. They are loosened or even further set at the time of monthly bleeding and especially during pregnancy. However, these advantages for the passage of a child at birth are counterbalanced by a lower stability of the bone system. A relatively greater performance of the holding apparatus, the muscles and ligaments, compensates for this disadvantage, but muscles and ligaments are also weaker and more pliable in women than in men, since they must also be able to withstand the conditions of pregnancy. In other words, the peculiarities of the female physique resulting from the ability to carry and bear children affect its static performance. The balancing work of a woman’s musculoskeletal system during upright posture therefore depends on particularly good cooperation between all muscle groups. If this muscle play is disturbed by inadequate exercise or overstretching of one muscle group, excessive strain on the other muscles is much more likely to cause fatigue and wear and tear than in men. The upright gait of man requires, in addition to a functional skeleton, above all a healthy abdominal and back musculature capable of action, which in traction and countertraction keeps the upper body upright.
Causes of back pain in women
Far more than men, therefore, women, who are equipped with a weaker bony support apparatus, must be careful to maintain their abdominal and back muscles, in particular, in good working order. If the abdominal muscles are overstretched due to pregnancy, for example, they will fail to perform the supporting function of the spine. Its function must be taken over by the back muscles. These muscles compensate for the excess weight by tilting the upper body backwards and increasing the curvature of the lumbar spine. This results in what is known as a hollow back. However, the overloaded lumbar muscles tire quickly, become hard and cramp up. Women then complain of low back and lumbar pain. But not only pregnant women, but also other women, especially working women, often complain of such pain. A detailed examination very often reveals neither a disease of the uterine organs nor any pathological findings in the spine or the rest of the skeleton. Only the anterior abdominal wall is flaccid, the lower part of the abdomen somewhat bulging, and the small of the back hollow. The flaccid anterior abdominal wall is no longer able to hold the abdominal viscera in the correct position. The viscera shift forward and downward.As a result, they not only bulge out the flabby abdominal wall, but also cause a constant pull on the spine. The woman tries to give in to this pulling pain by pushing the spine particularly hard. As a result, the back muscles in turn get into a permanent forced posture, eventually fatigue, cramp up and become painful. Characteristic of this type of back pain is the often severe discomfort at night and the feeling of stiffness in the morning, which only gives way when the muscles are active again. The process is very similar to muscle soreness in athletes. The downward pressure of the intestines, however, additionally favors the displacement of the pelvic organs, especially the uterus. Lowering or even prolapse of this organ are the consequences. The main causes of slackening of the abdominal muscles are: pregnancies, after which the overstretched muscles do not regain their former strength due to insufficient active exercise, accumulation of fat in the abdominal wall, which makes the muscles unfit, constant sedentary occupation, where the muscles are not sufficiently exercised due to the lack of movement. In women with predominantly standing occupation, low back pain is additionally caused by the heavy load on the legs and feet, especially when the arches of the feet have already lowered or when only shoes with high heels are worn.
Prevention and treatment
If a woman wants to protect herself from such consequences of one-sided strain and impoverishment of movement, she must be constantly careful to keep all her muscles efficient. Gymnastics and sports are excellent for this purpose. They not only strengthen the entire musculature, but also promote circulation, respiration and metabolism and thus the general physical well-being. The excuse often given, especially by working women, that they have no time for sports cannot apply, at least not to gymnastics. If every woman would consistently devote just five minutes of her daily morning toilet to gymnastics, she could save herself many, often quite agonizing ailments and avoid many a lost work day by this simple measure. All gymnastic exercises should be performed lightly clothed on a hard surface and in a well-ventilated room. Women with predominantly sedentary occupations must give preference to breathing, trunk and leg exercises (trunk twisting and bending, hopping, jumping, running on the spot). Women with predominantly standing or walking occupation should give special emphasis to leg and foot exercises (cycling movements of legs, rolling, bending and stretching of feet and toes, standing on balls and walking on toes). However, gymnastics not only prevents incorrect strain on the musculature, but is also able to favorably influence damage that has already occurred. Scientific studies have shown, for example, that the strength of flabby abdominal walls in older women can be restored to the initial values of younger women through systematic gymnastics. If necessary, gymnastics in such cases must be supported by massages and baths. However, preventive and curative gymnastics are successful only if they are performed regularly. It is wrong to do gymnastics only irregularly once in a while and then to try to make up for this omission by long-lasting exercises. This causes fatigue, which is precisely what should be avoided. Regular gymnastics is all the more important, the greater the strain on the female body. That is why it is indispensable for pregnant women and young mothers. You can learn the exercises in special courses for childbirth. Ask your family doctor or gynecologist about this and also ask your health insurance company about pregnancy offers. Finally, it should be expressly pointed out that in any case the cause of the back pain must first be clarified before it can be sensibly combated. So going to the doctor will still be necessary in the future. Only now his measures will find more understanding and perhaps also be followed more conscientiously.
