The Link Between Ibs And Back Pain
In addition to abdominal-related symptoms, research shows that people with IBS are likely to feel pain in other parts of the body. As many as 81% of people with IBS may also experience back pain.
While the root cause of this back pain varies by person, researchers think it could be linked to IBS in the following ways:
- Physical factors:Sensations in the intestines like gas pressure, colon spasms, or swollen bowels can lead to pain in the abdomen and lower back.
- Referred pain:In many health conditions, pain originating in one part of the body can be felt in another part of the body .
- Another health condition:People with IBS often experience other inflammatory health conditions at the same time, such as fibromyalgia, interstitial cystitis, or rheumatoid arthritis. These conditions can include back pain as a primary symptom.
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Colon Cancer Symptoms And Treatment
There are numerous symptoms of colon cancer. Here are the following colorectal cancer symptoms:-
- Persistent cramps or gas pain.
- Rectal bleeding or bloody diarrhea.
- Unexplained loss of weight.
- Abdominal discomfort, change in the habits of bowel, constipation, diarrhea, or change in the consistency of the stool.
Symptoms Of Ibs In Females
Symptoms of IBS may vary between women and men.
The prevalence of IBS between the 2 sexes does vary, with 1 study indicating IBS effects 14% of women vs 8.9% of men. This may lead some to believe that this difference is influenced by the fact that women are more likely to seek help for this, however, this may not be the full story.
There are gender differences in symptoms also. Women appear to report increased levels of bloating and constipation, while men report increased diarrhoea symptoms. This may be related to the role sex hormones play in the digestive tract.
Women with IBS also tend to report lower QoL , more fatigue, depressed mood, less positive well-being and self-control, and higher levels of anxiety than men with IBS.
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When You Havent Had A Bowel Movement In More Than 7 Days
This may indicate a serious blockage in your digestive tract that needs treatment immediately. Symptoms for constipation may sometimes appear isolated from one another, based on the body of the patient. Patients who experience prolonged periods without a bowel movement and lower back pain should get checked immediately.
What Kind Of Pain Does Colon Cancer Cause
Colon cancer can cause distress and pain. The cancer cell in the rectum usually develops from polyps.
The pain in colon cancer is so intense that you can’t even shake your body. Pain is subjective, so how do you know the severe pain is due to colon cancer? The answer is that the pain intensity doesn’t define the disease, but the duration defines it. Colon cancer causes pain, which is also colorectal cancer symptoms. Colon cancer causes pain that is so severe that it can disrupt your daily activities.
When the pain persists for more than four weeks of the same kind of pain, then you must consult a doctor at the earliest. Some type of pain that colon cancer causes are:
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Colon Pressing On Sciatic Nerve
When one of the nerves in your lower lumbar area becomes compressed or is damaged in some way, the pressure on the sciatic nerve sends pain shooting through your lower back and down into your leg.
Tingling and numbness can also result. As The Sciatica Authority website states, central, foraminal, and cervical central spinal stenosis are all known to cause constipation and sciatica.
Anything that places a good amount of pressure on the sciatic nerve can trigger sciatic pain. Spinal tumors and colon cancer can be culprits that cause sciatica.
Sciatica can also be triggered by distention of the bowels, which can press the colon onto the sciatic nerve.
Constipation and sciatic pain can occur separately or together, and it can sometimes be difficult to determine which one triggered the other.
Even a highly-qualified neurologist might need to run several tests on a patient and look at the correlation between symptoms before settling on a diagnosis.
As a non-spinal agent in causing sciatic nerve pain, when constipation is properly treated, some of the pressure placed on the sciatic nerve by the colon can be alleviated.
What Should I Do If I Am Experiencing Symptoms
It is important to remember these symptoms can be caused by many different conditions, including irritable bowel syndrome or indigestion, and arent usually the result of cancer.
However, if you regularly experience one or more of these symptoms which are not normal for you, do not ignore them, contact your GP straight away.
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How Can You Treat Lower Back Pain When Constipated
Its best to treat the root cause of constipation rather than merely apply a band-aid in the form of pain medication or laxatives. However, heating pads and over-the-counter painkillers are helpful when you use them together with gradual lifestyle changes.
To treat constipation, make sure you drink enough water, gradually include more food with plenty of fiber, and stay active. If youre taking any medication, this may be causing your constipation, so its worth discussing this side effect with your doctor.
You can use laxatives or stool softeners as a temporary measure, but you shouldnt use them for longer than two weeks as they can cause other digestive issues.
Can Constipation Cause Back Pain
It may seem unlikely that constipation and lower back pain are connected, but back pain causes come in many forms, and surprisingly, constipation is one of them.
Constipation is a fairly common condition in which you are unable to pass stools easilyor at all, in some cases. A lack of fiber in the diet and pregnancy are two causes of constipation. It is normal to experience constipation once in a while, and if it passes after a few days, there isnt much to be concerned about. But if its a regular occurrence and you experience lower back pain as a result, you need to examine the problem more closely.
When you cant remove fecal matter from the body, its normal to strain, sometimes excessively so, to try to eliminate the waste. Its this straining that puts pressure on the back and on the discs of your spine that might already be loose this is often called a slipped disc or herniated disc.
Fecal impaction is an even worse condition than simple constipation, and it can also trigger lower back pain. A fecal impaction is when a fecal mass becomes dry and hard, is lodged in the rectum, and cant come out with ease.The longer a fecal impaction is allowed to carry on without some kind of intervention, the worse the pain will become, because the pressure in pressure on the lower back and abdomen isnt being alleviated, and will continue to build over time.
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Conditions That Can Cause Both Symptoms
Constipation can lead to lower back pain. The pain occurs when the mass of feces presses on the nerves in the lower back, called the sacral nerves.
The following are examples of conditions that can cause both constipation and lower back pain at the same time:
- Bowel obstruction: A bowel obstruction may occur due to a collection of hard stool in the intestine or because something presses on or constricts the bowel and prevents the stool from moving forward.
- Endometriosis: In people with endometriosis, tissue similar to the tissue that normally lines the uterus starts to grow in other places in the body, including the fallopian tubes, ovaries, bowel, and bladder. A
or longer.
Some causes of lower back pain include:
What Causes Ibs Pain
Abdominal pain is the most common symptom of IBS. This pain is usually felt near the intestines, but theres no physical harm to your organs. While IBS pain is very real, its not due to obvious, physical damage in the body.
Researchers are still figuring out exactly what causes IBS and the pain associated with it. It likely involves one or more of the following factors:
- Physical sensations:Cramps and pain can result as the muscles in your intestines contract to move food through your digestive tract.
- Hypersensitivity:Extra-sensitive nerves in the gastrointestinal tract can make mild digestive sensations feel extraordinarily painful.
- Gut-brain connection:Over time, there can be widespread miscommunication in the way your brain interacts with the nerves in your digestive tract.
Further, IBS pain may be worsened by the psychosocial factors associated with the condition. Thoughts or feelings of anxiety or distress can stimulate an exaggerated painful response from your gut.
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Difficulty In Bowel Movement
Aside from the frequency of bowel movements, the difficulty of stool evacuation should also be considered. If youre having trouble with your bowel movements, it could be that the stool inside your digestive system has become too large to push out. Forcing a bowel movement in that situation can cause serious damage to your rectal lining.
Under no circumstances should you consider self-medication unless approved by a doctor. While laxatives and other medications can help alleviate mild symptoms of constipation and lower back pain, any serious or chronic back problems should always be diagnosed by a medical professional first.
Physical Therapy For Treating Lower Back Pain
Lower back pain needs to be evaluated by a doctor in order to find out whether an internal organ is causing it, or exactly what the source of the pain is. Imaging studies and other tests will reveal the cause of your symptoms.
Lower back pain can be relieved without medication or surgery by employing physical therapy. Here at Endeavor Physical Therapy & Wellness, our experienced medical team provides superior and individualized physical therapy programs for our patients. Our licensed and skilled physical therapists will work with you to relieve your lower back pain and to make your body stronger and more flexible.
If you have any questions or would like to make an appointment with us, contact our friendly staff today by calling us at 284-7192 or by filling out our easy-to-use appointment request form online now. We proudly serve Austin, Round Rock, Manor, Pflugerville, Cedar Park, Bee Caves, and Hutto and we look forward to helping you enjoy less back pain and more living!
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What Could Be Causing Lower Back Pain When You Have A Bowel Movement
Other than constipation and painful, hard stools, there are several other potential causes for experiencing lower back pain while pooping.
Here are three common ones to consider.
Endometriosis
Endometriosis is a common issue if youve got a uterus, affecting up to 10% of women worldwide. This condition occurs when the endometrium attaches to organs and grows outside the uterus. The tissue can attach to the bowel, which can cause pain when passing gas or stool.
There may also be blood in your stool around your menstruation cycle. Speak to your doctor if you have other symptoms, including heavy, painful periods, cramps, pelvic pain, and pain during sexual intercourse.
Irritable bowel syndrome
Studies show that 28 to 81% of people with IBS also have back pain.¹ IBS has many symptoms, but the main ones include bloating, stomachache, constipation or diarrhea, back pain, nausea, and flatulence.¹¹
Stress or certain foods can worsen these symptoms, causing a flare-up.
Sciatica
Sciatica is another condition that arises from pressure or damage to the sciatic nerve, which runs from the foot to the lower back.¹² Symptoms include dull or sharp pain, a burning sensation, numbness, tingling, or weakness.
These typically affect the lower back or one side of the lower body. If you strain during bowel movements, the pressure can cause lower back pain and other sciatica symptoms.
What Could Be Causing Lower Back Pain When You Have Constipation
Dull lower back pain is a symptom of constipation as the stool in your rectum or colon can cause pressure and discomfort.
It can also be indicative of the following conditions if the pain is more severe:
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Spinal cord injury or tumor
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A compressed nerve in the back
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Parkinsons disease
Other possibilities include liver problems , kidney infection or stones, fibromyalgia, and peritonitis. If the pain is severe or theres blood in your stool, consult your doctor.
Fecal impaction is another potential cause of lower back pain while constipated. It is often accompanied by sudden diarrhea after a long period of constipation, bloating, pain, dehydration, and little to no urine.
Fecal impaction happens more commonly in older people, and it can quickly cause life-threatening issues. If you have dizziness, confusion, a fast or irregular heartbeat, or youre struggling to breathe alongside any of the above symptoms, call 911 immediately.
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Can Ibs Cause Back And Leg Pain
Some research has indicated that those with IBS, particularly those with the constipation subtype, are more sensitive to pain.
This can mean that even a small amount of nerve activation can feel a great deal more sensitive and painful in this group of individuals.
It is also possible that SIBO, a bacterial overgrowth in the small bowel, can lead to issues with legs such as restless leg syndrome. SIBO is seen to be the underlying issue in up to 80% of those with IBS type symptoms. This can lead to discomfort and pain in the legs.
Constipation And Back Pain
Overview
Constipation is very common. Sometimes, back pain can accompany constipation. Lets take a look at why the two may occur together and how you can find relief.
Constipation is defined as infrequent bowel movements or difficulty passing bowel movements. Normal bowel movements usually occur one to two times a day. With constipation, you may experience only three bowel movements a week.
Additional symptoms of constipation include:
- hard or lumpy stool
- feeling of fullness
- straining to pass fecal matter
Often, constipation swells the intestines with retained fecal matter. This can lead to discomfort in both the abdomen and back. This type of back pain is typically reported as a dull, aching type of discomfort.
- colon or rectal cancer
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Other Suggested Treatment Options
Sometimes, you may not find the right diagnosis or treatment simply by visiting your doctor. Thats because doctors dont often address the complete picture of why youre experiencing pain.
More often than not, our pain is caused by imbalances in any or all of these three sources: mind, body and diet.
Here at the Healthy Back Institute, we teach a comprehensive method that called the Complete Healing Formula that addresses each one of these sources.
Weve found that this is the best way to address chronic pain, whether its in your lower back or elsewhere.
I provide an overview of these healing strategies in my book The 7-Day Back Pain Cure.
You can download a copy of my book for free by clicking right here.
The Relationship Between Your Lower Back & Digestive System
Constipation can indeed cause back pain, as a blockage of waste in your lower intestines can cause pain to radiate in your lower back. The problem only gets worse until you have a bowel movement, as while you are still waiting to go, the food that you eat is causing even more waste to accumulate and become impacted. On the other hand, back pain in the form of strained or tight back muscles can also be the cause of constipation. This is because when the muscles contract too tightly, they can cause difficulties for the nerves that control your bowel movements. Therefore, we can conclude that a relationship does exist between your lower back and digestive system.
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How Can Constipation And Back Pain Be Treated
The type of treatment you receive for constipation and back pain will depend on the root cause of your problem.
For example, if your constipation is being caused by dehydration, your doctor may instruct you to start drinking more water throughout the day. If your constipation and back pain is being caused by sciatica, your doctor will treat you for sciatica. Common treatments for sciatica include medications, physical therapy, and surgery.
Be completely open and honest with your doctor during your appointment to address constipation and back pain. This will help your doctor determine the true causes of your problems, and the best treatments that can effectively relieve both your constipation and back pain.
What Are The Symptoms Of Pancreatic Cancer
Pancreatic cancer often doesnt cause symptoms in the early stages. As the cancer grows, it may start to cause symptoms. The symptoms may not be specific to pancreatic cancer, and they may come and go to begin with. This can make pancreatic cancer hard to diagnose.
These symptoms can be caused by lots of things, and are unlikely to be pancreatic cancer. If you are not feeling well and you have any of the symptoms on this page, speak to your GP to check if there is anything wrong.
Common symptoms include:
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