Healing Back Pain: Solutions

There is some debate over whether or not back pain is more prevalent among women. While it is obvious that certain kinds of back pain, such as those related to pregnancy and PMS, are exclusive to women, there are a number of other chronic pain conditions that women experience more commonly than men. Learning what links women and back pain can help you prevent it.

Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis, a condition characterized by loss of bone density, affects 4 times more women than men. People with osteoporosis are highly susceptible to compression fractures which often occur in the hips and spine. According to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, half of women over 50 will experience a bone fracture related to osteoporosis at some time, which is double the rate of men.

Estrogen is a major player in keeping bones strong. After menopause, estrogen levels plummet and bone loss occurs at a much faster rate in women than in men. Preventing osteoporosis means setting your body up to counter bone density loss. Women should consume 1000mg of calcium per day before menopause and 1200 mg a day after menopause. Postmenopausal women are also instructed to take 800 IU (international units) of vitamin D a day, as this facilitates the absorption of calcium through the intestinal walls.

Exercise is also important to maintaining strong bones. As with muscles, bones become stronger and recover faster when subjected to the stress of exercise.

Fibromyalgia

WomensHealth.gov’s fact sheet on fibromyalgia estimates that 80-90% of cases occur in women. Fibromyalgia is characterized by the brain’s abnormal processing of sensory signals, sensing pain when it normally wouldn’t.

While not fully understood, there are hypotheses that seek to explain the higher incidence of fybromyalgia among women. Testosterone is a hormone that, among other things, delays muscle fatigue. Since women have less testosterone, their muscles generally tire faster than men and signals sent from these muscles may be interpreted as pain.

Other predisposing factors for women likely exist but are not known at this time. There is no definite way to prevent fibromyalgia because of the number of questions that still remain in the medical field about the condition. See http://ezinearticles.com for a summary of the latest theories and potential avenues of prevention.

Stress

There is some evidence that women experience more stress than men. Stress often manifests as physical pain, likely due in part to the fact that physical and emotional stress signals are processed by the same parts of the brain. When stressed, we tend to unconsciously tense up the muscles in our backs and necks. Some theorize that this is due to the “fight or flight” instinct; when stressed, our brain instructs the body to send a rush of blood to our muscles in order to prepare us for action. When we don’t need to flee or fight, however, this influx of blood in the muscles can manifest as inflammation and cause soreness.

There are some biological factors specific to women that may cause them to experience more stress. Serotonin, a neurotransmitter essential to a balanced mood, relies on estrogen for release. When women’s estrogen level drops, such as before menstruation, after birth and during menopause, serotonin levels decrease. Results of a study conducted at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia suggest that women may be more sensitive to a stress hormone called corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF). More on this can be found at http://helpingpsychology.com. Exercise and meditation are two effective ways to combat biological stress factors.

Also worth noting is the existence of societal stressors unique to women. Whether striving to fit in the box society has drawn for her or striving to live outside it, today’s woman encounters her share of stressful situations.

There are biological and societal causes of back pain in women that can be countered with diet, exercise and healthy emotional practices like meditation. Women are not doomed to suffer chronic pain; educating yourself about risks and prevention is the first step to living pain-free.

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