Lower back pain 6 days before period

Dysmenorrhea is the medical term for pain that women have before or during menses (known as their period). It usually is not serious.

Symptoms of dysmenorrhea

Menstrual cramps can feel like a dull ache or a shooting pain. They most often occur in your low stomach. You may also feel them in your low back, hips, or thighs. The pain may start before your period or when your period begins. Menstrual cramps last about 1 to 3 days. The pain may be bad enough to keep you from normal activities.

What causes dysmenorrhea?

There are two types of dysmenorrhea. Primary dysmenorrhea is pain caused by common menstrual cramps. Secondary dysmenorrhea is pain caused by a disease or condition. This could include:

  • an infection
  • ovarian cysts (fluid-filled sacs in your ovary)
  • endometriosis (a problem with the lining of your uterus).

How is dysmenorrhea diagnosed?

Most of the time, women do not need to see the doctor for menstrual cramps. This may be different if you have severe, lasting pain or pain that is new or different. In these cases, your doctor may want to do a physical exam, pelvic exam, or tests. These can help diagnose or rule out the cause of your pain. An ultrasound test lets your doctor see if you have ovarian cysts. A laparoscopy can check for endometriosis. In this minor surgery, the doctor makes a small cut in your low stomach. Then, they insert a thin tube to look inside your uterus.

Can dysmenorrhea be prevented or avoided?

Menstrual cramps and pain cannot be prevented or avoided.

Dysmenorrhea treatment

At-home treatment is available for women who have menstrual cramps. The goal is to relieve symptoms. Over-the-counter medicines can reduce pain. These include ibuprofen (brand names: Advil and Motrin) and naproxen (brand name: Aleve). Other medicines are Midol, Pamprin, and Premsyn PMS. You also can try using heating pads or taking a warm bath.

Talk to your doctor if these don’t help. They may suggest a stronger pain reliever. They may want you to try using birth control pills or a birth control shot. These can help make your periods less painful.

Living with dysmenorrhea

Menstrual cramps are painful but can be managed with treatment. Talk to your doctor if you have any of the following symptoms:

Many women experience some degree of lower back pain before or around the beginning of their menstrual period. This pain is often part of their normal period or premenstrual syndrome (PMS). Less commonly, it is caused by a disorder such as endometriosis. The type of pain, when it occurs and associated symptoms may provide clues about the cause.

Advertisement

Painful Period

Mild pain around the time of a period is common. This pain -- called dysmenorrhea -- is caused by hormones called prostaglandins, which stimulate the uterus to contract. These contractions produce intermittent, cramping pain. Dysmenorrhea is usually felt in the lower part of the abdomen, but it may also occur in the lower back, hips or thighs. Contractions begin before the onset of menstrual bleeding, so back pain due to dysmenorrhea can begin hours to as many as 2 days before a period. It usually resolves by the second or third day of the period. When severe, dysmenorrhea may be accompanied by fatigue, nausea and diarrhea.

Advertisement

Video of the Day

When dysmenorrhea occurs as a natural part of a menstrual cycle, it is called primary dysmenorrhea. This type of dysmenorrhea usually begins soon after a girl starts menstruating and improves with age. Secondary dysmenorrhea generally appears later in life and is the result of another medical disorder, such as endometriosis or noncancerous growths of the uterus called fibroids.

Premenstrual Syndrome

PMS is a set of symptoms that occurs before the start of a menstrual period. When lower back pain occurs with PMS, it tends to be constant, not cramping. Other PMS symptoms may include tension or anxiety, depression, crying spells, mood swings, difficulty sleeping, poor concentration, headaches, fatigue, fluid accumulation, abdominal bloating, lower abdominal pain and breast tenderness. PMS symptoms, including back pain, often begin several days before a period and typically subside within the first few hours after the period starts.

Advertisement

The exact cause of PMS is unknown, but hormonal changes in the days leading up to a period likely play a key role. Back pain during PMS may be caused by an increase in a hormone called relaxin, which causes ligaments to relax. When back ligaments relax, the lower back loses some of its natural support, which may result in pain. Fluid accumulation and abdominal bloating may also contribute to lower back pain.

Endometriosis

Endometriosis is a condition in which tissue from the inner lining of the uterus -- called the endometrium -- grows in another location. The endometrial tissue may appear on the outer surface of the uterus or nearby organs, such as the ovaries, bladder or bowel. Researchers aren't sure exactly why endometriosis occurs, but one theory is that during a period, menstrual blood containing endometrial cells backs up into the fallopian tubes and then spills into the abdomen.

Advertisement

During a woman's menstrual cycle, hormones cause the endometrial tissue to swell and bleed as if it were in the uterus. This bleeding can irritate the surrounding area, causing pain. Symptoms depend to a large extent on where the endometrial tissue is located. Pain in the lower back or lower abdomen is common. This pain usually occurs before or during a period -- producing secondary dysmenorrhea -- but it may persist between periods as well. Endometriosis may also cause pain or bleeding during or after intercourse, pain with urination or bowel movements, difficulty becoming pregnant, excessively heavy periods or vaginal bleeding between periods.

Advertisement

Seeking Medical Attention

See your doctor if back pain before your period interferes with your life or is not controlled by simple measures, such as over-the-counter pain medications or a heating pad. Also seek medical attention if there is a significant change from your regular pattern of pain or if you have symptoms of possible endometriosis. Seek prompt medical care if you have severe pain in your back or abdomen, your period is very heavy or you feel lightheaded or extremely weak.

Is it normal to have lower back pain a week before your period?

Back pain for most women will begin a few days prior to a menstrual cycle and usually subside after. The good news is that low back pain during menstruation is usually not serious and will subside for the most part.

How many days before period does back pain start?

Typical period back pain usually occurs within the first six days of your cycle, Dr. Missmer says. Basically, any condition that causes chronic inflammation and pain to the pelvic area, can also cause low back pain, research supports.

Does lower back pain mean period or pregnancy?

Back pain: This symptom can be if your period is approaching, but it also can be a symptom that you are pregnant. Mood changes (irritability, anxiety, crying spells): Mood changes are common in both PMS and early pregnancy. These changes can include depression, anxiety, irritability, and mood swings.

Why am I cramping 6 days before my period?

Though the majority of cramps happen right when your period starts, it is possible to have cramps days before your period. This happens due to a condition called premenstrual syndrome (PMS). PMS occurs due to your body's changing hormones right before a period.