Left Side Lower Back Pain in Women
What you should know about left side lower back pain in women? Lower back pain is a common problem. Over 80% of all Americans say that they’ve experienced lower back pain, 50% say they’ve experienced lower back pain within the last month and 15% say they’re experiencing pain right now. Left side lower back pain in women is specifically prominent. It’s important to understand the causes of lower back pain before attempting treatment.
The most common cause of left side lower back pain in women are compression fractures. Older women, after menopause, often have weakening back muscles. Weak back muscles make it very easy for a compression fracture to occur. Use of corticosteroid medications over a long period of time greatly increases the risk, further weakening the muscles in the back. Osteoporosis is also common in women, raising the risk factor even more. As the back muscles deteriorate, it becomes possible to cause a compression fracture by performing normal everyday activities.
Though compression fractures are the most common cause of left side lower back pain in women, they’re not the only cause. In younger woman who do not have osteoporosis, other common causes include:
Left Side Lower Back Pain in Women – Sprain and overuse
If you’ve been performing any strenuous physical activity lately, you may want to wait a few days to see if the pain subsides on it’s own.
Left Side Lower Back Pain in Women – Pressure on nerves in the lower back
This can be caused by a number of conditions, including:
Left Side Lower Back Pain in Women – Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis usually affects older people. It’s caused by the aging of the lower back muscles.
Left Side Lower Back Pain in Women – Fracture
It’s not easy to fracture you’re spine and you’ll usually know if you do. Fractures happen due to accidents, for instance a hard fall onto your butt can compress your spine and cause it to fracture. Direct blows to the spine can also cause fractures.
Left Side Lower Back Pain in Women – Herniated disc
This is often caused by repeated motions over long periods of time. For instance, construction workers often suffer from herniated discs. Swinging a hammer or doing any physical task over several years can cause a herniated disc. Vibration over long periods of time can also cause this, semi-drivers often complain of lower back pain, most likely caused by the long hours they spend in the vibrating drivers seat of an 18 wheeler.
Left Side Lower Back Pain in Women – Spondylolisthesis
This is a genetic defect in the vertebra of the lower back. The shape of the vertebra allow for one to slide over the other, pinching nerves and causing what can be extreme pain.
Left Side Lower Back Pain in Women – Spinal stenosis and deformities
Spinal stenosis is another back problem that usually manifests with age and occurs due to the narrowing of the spinal canal. Spinal deformities are usually genetic problems that you have from birth. If you have a spinal deformity it should be detected early and, if possible, treated before it turns into an ongoing source of pain in your adult life.
These are some of the common causes of left side lower back pain in women. If you’re experiencing some of them, check the related articles below.
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