Lower back period pain can be a frustrating and distressing period symptom. What’s behind this pain depends on when in your cycle you experience it, and how severe it is. Here’s what causes lower back period pain and how to ease symptoms.
If you have periods, you likely know only too well that different moments in your cycle can cause a whole host of symptoms.
Lower back period pain is one common symptom among many. Some people may experience lower back ache and soreness, some may feel intense pain, and still others may have different period symptoms altogether.
Read on to learn more about what lower back period pain is, what causes lower back period pain, and how to get relief.
What is lower back period pain? Lower back pain is a common pre-period and period symptom. Back pain can range from moderate to severe. It may feel like an ache, a throbbing pain, a sudden spasm, or something piercing and stabbing.
Some people may feel this pain mostly in the lower back, but back pain can also radiate downward into the backside and legs, or upward into the upper back.
If you tend to have lower back period pain, how severe your pain is and where it radiates (if at all) may vary from cycle to cycle.
Most people experience lower back period pain in the:
Late luteal phase during the days leading up to your period, when you may experience other premenstrual symptoms Early follicular phase during your period, when you may experience other period symptoms What causes lower back period pain? What causes lower back period pain depends on when the pain occurs—that is, whether you experience it before your period starts or after.
What causes lower back period pain before your period? When lower back period pain occurs in the late luteal phase, before your period officially starts, the pain is likely related to premenstrual syndrome (PMS) or premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD).
PMS is incredibly common and can lead to lots of different emotional and physical symptoms. PMDD is a more severe version of PMS, causing severe PMS symptoms that can significantly impact your day-to-day functioning.
Both PMS and PMDD can cause lower back pain, and the reason could be related to inflammation. One 2016 study found that people with higher inflammation levels around menstruation were more likely to experience back pain before their period. Inflammation can be caused by anything from chronic stress and alcohol to gastrointestinal conditions or inflection.
Generally, premenstrual lower back period pain lasts up until your period starts, or a few days after, then eases away.
When this pain continues for the first few days of your period, the cause is categorized a bit differently. But, practically speaking, you likely won’t notice a difference in how it feels.
What causes lower back period pain during your period? When lower back period pain occurs in the early follicular phase, with the start of your period or shortly after, the pain is generally a symptom of dysmenorrhea.
Dysmenorrhea may sound complicated and clinical, but it’s just the medical term for “period pain,” “painful periods,” or “pain associated with periods.”
Lots of people who get periods experience some level of pain around the menstruation phase of their cycle. Or, to put it clinically, lots of people deal with dysmenorrhea.
Period pain is classified into two categories:
Primary dysmenorrhea is the cramping pain—aka period cramps—that comes before or during your period and causes lots of different painful symptoms. This is the more common type of period pain, and it goes away after your period ends. Secondary dysmenorrhea is period pain caused by an underlying reproductive health condition. This pain tends to worsen over time. It may last longer than period cramps, and may continue even after your period ends.Lower back period pain can be a symptom of either primary dysmenorrhea (period cramps) or secondary dysmenorrhea (an underlying reproductive health condition). Let’s take a closer look at which factors in both types of period pain may cause lower back pain.
Primary dysmenorrhea: Do cramps cause lower back period pain? In some cases, lower back period pain could be related to cramps.
Period cramps (or primary dysmenorrhea) are partly caused by prostaglandins, a type of chemical that your body produces. During your period, uterine prostaglandin levels rise. This makes the muscles and blood vessels of the uterus contract in order to shed the uterine lining as your period.
Prostaglandin-levels are highest during the first few days of your period. These days also tend to be the most painful.
How does this all relate to your back pain? You feel these prostaglandin-induced uterine contractions as period cramps and pain—including lower back pain. So yes, cramps can cause lower back period pain.
As your period continues and the uterine lining keeps shedding, prostaglandin levels decrease and lower back period pain tends to ease as well.
Secondary dysmenorrhea: Do reproductive health conditions cause lower back period pain? Lower back period pain can also be related to a medical condition.
With secondary dysmenorrhea, an underlying reproductive health condition is behind the painful symptoms experienced during your period (and sometimes, beyond your period).
Lower back period pain stemming from a reproductive health condition is generally more severe and lasts longer.
Reproductive health conditions that can cause lower back period pain and other secondary dysmenorrhea symptoms include:
Endometriosis Uterine fibroids Adenomyosis Ovarian cysts Endometrial polyps Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) When to see a doctor for lower back period pain Consider making an appointment with your doctor if your lower back period pain is so severe that you can’t function day to day, or if you suddenly experience severe pain for the first time.
Your doctor can run tests to understand what’s happening in your body, and determine whether an underlying medical condition could be causing your lower back period pain.
But lower back period pain doesn’t have to be severe for you to see a doctor. You can always go to your doctor with concerns about your health and wellbeing, no matter how big or small.
Regardless of the underlying cause, your doctor can recommend medical and at-home treatment methods to help you get relief from lower back period pain.
How to get relief from lower back period pain Depending on your body and your cycles, lower back period pain can be anywhere from mild to severe.
Generally, lower back period pain related to PMS, PMDD, or period camps (primary dysmenorrhea) will go away after the first few days of your period.
That doesn’t mean you have to live with the pain, though! Here are some methods for finding relief from lower back period pain:
Take over-the-counter pain relievers as needed, like ibuprofen, aspirin, or other NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs).Apply heat to your lower back with a heating pad, hot water bottle, or warm bath to soothe and relax the muscles.Practice light exercise like gentle yoga or swimming to stretch out your back and release endorphins, your body’s natural painkillers.Drink lots of water and eat anti-inflammatory foods like leafy greens, berries, and nuts to help combat inflammation.Get a gentle massage , but stop if anything hurts too much.Get acupuncture or acupressure .Let yourself rest, relax, and recuperate as your body recovers.In more severe cases, like when lower back period pain is related to an underlying reproductive health condition (secondary dysmenorrhea), pain may not respond well to at-home treatments or over-the-counter pain relievers.
In these cases, you may need additional help from your doctor to manage the underlying condition and ease back pain. Options include:
Hormonal birth control Prescription medication Surgery, in more extreme cases Lower back period pain: the bottom line Lower back period pain is a common premenstrual and period symptom.
Depending on when in your cycle it occurs, lower back period pain may be caused by PMS, PMDD, period cramps (primary dysmenorrhea), or an underlying reproductive health condition (secondary dysmenorrhea).
Lower back period pain can be frustrating and distressing, but there are ways to get relief. At-home methods to ease pain include pain relievers, heating pads, light stretching, acupuncture, and rest. If you have severe pain, your doctor may suggest other treatments like prescription medication.
No matter your pain level, understanding why you might be experiencing lower back period pain is the first step to getting clarity and finding the relief you deserve.
