Back pain and pelvic pain:

Your Pelvis Can Be the Cause of Your Back Pain

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Many women complain of back pain. Your back pain has various causes, and your pelvic pain is one of the major causes of your back pain. In fact, 1 in 4 women experiences low-back pains which originate from their pelvis.

Your pelvic pain could be due to:
  • Issues related to your reproductive system, urinary tract, or digestive systems
  • Irritation of your pelvic nerves
  • Or problems in your sacroiliac joint which is one of the major joints in your pelvis

Your back pain could also be due to a dysfunctional pelvis.
​A fall, lifting heavy loads, or pregnancy can give you a dysfunctional pelvis.

Depending on the cause of your pain, the type of your pain could differ and be sharp, dull, or so. Meet us at the women’s health physio for the right diagnosis and treatment.
What is the pelvic pain?
Pelvic pain is the pain in your lower abdomen (below your belly button) which is also known as your pelvic region. 
Pelvic pain - Statistics
The incidence of pelvic pain is very high among the Australian women. A study was conducted over 1,983 women, who were 14 to 49 years old. They were menstruating and also sexually active. 72% of them had a pelvic pain due to painful menstruation, 14% of them had a pelvic pain due to painful intercourse, and 21.5% of them had a pelvic pain that was chronic/ lasting for longer than six months. Only 23% of Australian women, had no pelvic pain of any kind.
  
Causes of your pelvic pain
  • If you are a woman, issues related to your reproductive system, urinary tract, digestive, or musculoskeletal sources may lead to your pelvic pain.
  • Sometimes an irritation of your pelvic nerves can also cause your pelvic pain.
  • Any issue in your sacroiliac joint may also cause pelvic pain.
*Sacroiliac joint (SI joint) is the joint between your sacrum/ lower part of your backbone and ileum/ pelvic bone. 
You may feel your sacroiliac joint pain in your thighs, buttocks, or spine. SI joint issue is the cause for 15 to 25% of your low back pains. Back pain due to the SI joint is difficult to diagnose as the joint is deep-seated. Unless and until we look for SI issues specifically, it’s tough to know your SI joint may be the cause of your back pain.
However, a pain in your lumbar region could signal an issue with your SI joint.
*Lumbar region is the lower third of your backbone.
  • Secondly, a pain in your spinal disc feels similar to that of your SI joint pain.
*Spinal discs are the round connective tissues present in between your vertebrae (parts of your backbone.)
  • Sometimes, other issues such as a herniated disc or sciatica may accompany your SI joint pain.
*A herniated disc is the ruptured disc.
*Sciatica is the leg pain. Other symptoms such as tingling/ numbness/ weakness may accompany sciatica. You may feel this pain in your lower back, and the pain may move down your leg in the path of your sciatic nerve.
 
 How is the pelvic pain?
Depending on the cause of your pelvic pain, your pain can be dull or sharp; continuous or intermittent; mild, moderate or severe. It can occur suddenly (acute) or can occur over a period of six months (chronic.)
Sometimes, your pelvic pain may radiate (you feel) in your lower back/ buttocks/ thighs. You may be experiencing pelvic pain only sometimes such as while urinating or while having sex.
 
Your back pain could also be due to a dysfunctional pelvis. A fall in the knee/ bottom/ a lifting injury/ labor/ pregnancy can lead to a pelvic floor dysfunction which can, in turn, cause back pain. 



​Treatment

The treatment depends mainly on the cause of your pelvic pain.
 
In case you develop a severe pelvic pain, meet us at the earliest as it could signal a medical emergency. If your pelvic pain is getting worse over time or has got worse suddenly, you should get it treated. Meet us at the women’s health physio for more details. We treat you with a combination of a manual therapy, muscle and nerve release techniques and a rehab.

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