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What are Common Causes of Back Pain in Women?

Alex Tree
Alex Tree

Back pain in women can be caused by many things. A common infection, such as a urinary tract infection, might be the problem. The back may also be stressed from excessive body weight, having large breasts, or wearing an improperly fitting bra. These problems are often more easily diagnosed when the pain radiates from a specific area.

A urinary tract infection can cause mild back pain in either sex, but this infection is more common in women than in men. Other symptoms of this infection are frequent and urgent urination, pain in the abdomen, and cloudy or foul-smelling urine. Back pain in women with a urinary tract infection can be solved by treating the infection with antibiotics prescribed by a health professional. There is no other known cure for this type of infection, but antibiotics normally solve the problem within one week.

Pregnancy can cause back pain in women.
Pregnancy can cause back pain in women.

Excess body weight is a common cause of back pain in women. This weight gain may be caused by unhealthy eating habits or pregnancy. Eating healthier in addition to exercising on a regular basis can help an overweight or obese person rid herself of back pain. In the case of pregnancy, the weight gain comes about quickly and is centralized in the stomach; these are two things that almost guarantee at least minor back pain in women. The pain may go away within weeks after the birth as the mother’s body returns to normal.

Menstrual periods can cause back and abdominal pain in women.
Menstrual periods can cause back and abdominal pain in women.

Back pain in women is also frequently caused by the woman not wearing a properly fitting bra. Getting a bra fitting in a department store and purchasing a bra in the recommended size can go a long way toward relieving the pain. It may also be wise to get fitted twice: one fitting at the beginning or right before a menstrual period and the other nowhere near that time of the month. Breast swelling is a common occurrence durign pre-menstruation because the body retains water and then loses it during the woman’s period. Some women find that their breasts swell enough to make their bras uncomfortable, in which case it can be helpful to have bras in two sizes.

Excess body fat and large breasts can sometimes cause back pain in women.
Excess body fat and large breasts can sometimes cause back pain in women.

Having large breasts is another common cause of back pain in women. This does not necessarily mean the woman is overweight or that she is wearing an improperly fitting bra, though these causes should not be ruled out immediately. Some women simply have naturally large breasts or have an uncommon medical condition that causes their breasts to grow to an unnatural size. Other women may have undergone cosmetic surgery to have such large breasts. In all cases, very large breasts have the potential to cause back pain.

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    • Pregnancy can cause back pain in women.
      By: sframe
      Pregnancy can cause back pain in women.
    • Menstrual periods can cause back and abdominal pain in women.
      By: overcrew
      Menstrual periods can cause back and abdominal pain in women.
    • Excess body fat and large breasts can sometimes cause back pain in women.
      By: hartphotography
      Excess body fat and large breasts can sometimes cause back pain in women.