Causes Of Constipation With Back Pain
If constipation is the culprit of your back pain, the pain is likely along the sides of your lower back, says Elena Maser, MD, an assistant professor at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and a gastroenterologist at the Feinstein IBD Center at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City.
Another way to tell? This pain should resolve if you pass one or more banana-sized stools, Dr. Maser says.
Constipation may be picked up by your primary care doctor when you are evaluated for low back pain. Your doctor will likely order an X-ray, Dr. Maser says. You can see large stool buildup on the films if you look for it.
Keep reading for the possible reasons youre constipatedand how to find relief.
Lower Back And Stomach Pain: Possible Causes And Treatments
Jenny Hills, Nutritionist and Medical Writer Health
Lower back and stomach pain is an unpleasant and worrying experience for any person. Because there are a number of organs in the abdominal and lower back area, there are many different reasons for having pain there. Pain in the stomach and lower back can be caused by constipation, stones in the kidney or gallbladder, or a cyst. However, sometimes the pain could be a sign of a more serious condition like appendicitis or even a heart attack.
Lower back and abdominal pain should never be ignored. Some home remedies can help you find relief from some of the symptoms of lower abdomen and back pain. However, if your symptoms last for more than a few days, or you experience intense or severe pain in your stomach and back, you should visit your doctor for a checkup. This is especially true if the pain is accompanied by nausea, vomiting, severe cramps, or pains in your chest.
Lets look at the different reasons why you can experience lower back and stomach pain. This will help you find the root cause of your pain and discomfort and discover if there are any natural home remedies to give you relief.
How Do You Know It Is Constipation Causing Your Lower Back Pain:
- Consistent and persistent pain that gets worse during your motions.
- The pain spreads way above your lower and middle back.
- The pain becomes more intense with time, and pain medications dont help.
Constipation can also result sciatic nerve compression and hence be a non-spinal factor that causes sciatica an intense lower back pain that travels right down to your leg it is a case of sciatica.
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What Is A Bowel Program
A bowel program is a plan to retrain your body to have regular bowel movements. A doctor or nurse designs a bowel program specifically for you. Your health, bowel and personal history, physical examination are an important part of this review:
- The level and completeness of your spinal cord injury
- Description and pattern of bowel problems
- Past and present medical problems
- Intake of food and drink
- Physical activities
The goals of a bowel program are:
- Passing a stool on a daily or every-other-day basis
- Preventing unplanned bowel movements
- Emptying your bowel around the same time of day
- Passing medium or large stool every time you have a bowel movement
- Emptying all or most of your rectum each day
- Having stools that are soft, formed, and bulky
- Emptying your bowel completely within 30 minutes after eating
Increase Your Water And Other Fluid Consumption
You can prevent and treat constipation by consuming more water and fluids. The current guidelines for water consumption are for adults above 19 years old. Men should consume about 131 ounces of fluids, whereas women are recommended to consume about 95 ounces of fluids.
These fluids include all the beverages you consume in a day, including water. Out of the ideal total consumption, men should get about 13 cups of fluids from other beverages, and women should get 9 cups. The rest of the remaining fluid quota can be made up of water.
60% of our body is made up of water. So naturally, it requires a sufficient amount of water to perform its vital functions. If your body does not have adequate amounts of water in its guts, then the fecal matter cannot travel from our intestines to out of our bodies. You can drink unsweetened fluids to cure constipation and back pain.
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Can Constipation Cause Back & Leg Pain
The Bottom Line. However uncomfortable constipation may be, it is temporary and highly treatable. Any back or leg pain resulting from constipation is caused by the backup of stool in your body, and properly accounting for the constipation you are experiencing will help relieve your other symptoms, too.
30 related questions found
Constipation Can Cause Back Pain And If You Already Have Low Back Pain Constipation Can Make It Worse Heres Why You May Be Backed Upand What To Do About It
If you have low back pain, youre not alone. According to the Canadian Chiropractic Association, 85 percent of working people can expect to experience low back pain during their lifetime. One reason the problem is so common is that the list of potential causes for low back pain is long.
Your back contains many structures that can cause or contribute to pain, including bones, muscles, joints, nerves, tendons, disks, and ligaments. These can become damaged from trauma, aging, obesity, overexertion, and underlying diseases, among other factors.
Your lower backs proximity to other organs and body parts, like the colon, makes it a prime target for referred pain, including from constipation.
Heres a closer look at constipation, the causes of constipation with lower back pain, and treatment options for relief.
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Consult An Upper Cervical Chiropractic Doctor About Your Lower Back Pain
Experiencing back pains and constipation can be quite alarming. After all, they can indicate several things ranging from having poor digestion to abnormal tissue growth inside the colon. Once you confirm that your backaches dont stem from constipation but a postural problem, we recommend trying upper cervical chiropractic.
Patients complaining about excruciating lower back pain have seen vast improvements after receiving upper cervical care. Furthermore, many of them have unlocked the path to revitalized health and improved balanced and gait after working with an upper cervical chiropractor.
If you are 100 percent sure that your back pain stems from postural imbalance and not constipation, we suggest having your neck bones checked and analyzed. The sooner you can fix the postural problem, the faster you can get rid of the aching sensation on your lower back.
Find a nearby upper cervical chiropractic practice and learn about the best lower back pain remedy today!
A Blockage In Your Intestines
“Ah man, it’s total gridlock”
When you become constipated there is a blockage in your intestines that stops the stools from passing through as normal.
However, just because you can’t go to the toilet doesn’t mean your body stops producing waste that it needs to get rid of.
So you end up with a backlog of stools in your intestines that resemble the M25 during rush hour!
And this backlog will start to affect you, as it will add pressure and strain onto your spinal discs, nerves, and lower back.
So as the ‘poo queue’ gets longer and longer, the more this pressure builds.
Which results in lower back pain that can make you feel really uncomfortable.
And the longer your constipation goes on for the worse this back pain will get.
So you need to unblock those pipes!
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Increase The Quantity Of Fiber
Fiber is an imperative part of your diet. You may suffer from constipation because of a lack of fiber in your diet. Fiber goes into our stomach and then leaves it without getting digested.
This fiber is then found in our colon. In our colon, friendly bacteria feed on the fiber. Different types of fiber promote other health benefits among people.
Fiber may help you promote weight loss, fight constipation, and even help to lower your blood sugar levels. According to the academy of nutrition and dietetics, you should consume about 14 grams of fiber for every 1,000 calories.
According to rough estimation, this equates to about 24 grams of fiber per day for women and 38 grams for men. Unfortunately, the majority of the people in America do meet these required standards. The average fiber intake for Americans is about 16.2 grams, which is below the permissible levels.
Lack Of Physical Activity
Youve got to move to have a movement. Regular physical activity keeps all of your musclesincluding those involved in passing stoolin good shape.
Treatment
Aim for 30 minutes a day of moderate physical activity, such as brisk walking, at least five days a week, along with some strength training, according to the CDC. Walking can also help with your back pain.
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Why Is Maintaining Bowel Function So Important
Worsening and untreated bowel function can lead to many additional health problems:
- Partial paralysis of the stomach
- Chronic heartburn
- Bloating or fullness
- Change in weight
- Autonomic dysreflexia – This is a serious condition where a dangerous elevation in blood pressure is associated with a drop in heart rate in people with spinal cord injury at levels T6 and above. It may cause heavy sweating, flushing, headaches, and blurry vision. If left untreated, it may lead to stroke, bleeding in the eyes, swelling of the heart or lungs, and other severe health problems.
- Worsening pain and/or spasticity
Symptoms Of Faecal Impaction
The symptoms of impaction are similar to the symptoms of constipation. But other more serious symptoms can occur. These include:
- back pain due to the mass of poo pressing on the nerves in your lower back
- a swollen tummy
- high or low blood pressure
- a fast heart rate
- explosive diarrhoea or diarrhoea that you have no control over
- feeling and being sick
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Constipation Can Cause Back Pain And If You Already Have Low Back Pain Constipation Can Make It Worse Here’s Why You May Be Backed Upand What To Do About It
If you have low back pain, youre not alone. According to the Canadian Chiropractic Association, 85 percent of working people can expect to experience low back pain during their lifetime. One reason the problem is so common is that the list of potential causes for low back pain is long.
Your back contains many structures that can cause or contribute to pain, including bones, muscles, joints, nerves, tendons, disks, and ligaments. These can become damaged from trauma, aging, obesity, overexertion, and underlying diseases, among other factors.
Your lower backs proximity to other organs and body parts, like the colon, makes it a prime target for referred pain, including from constipation.
Heres a closer look at constipation, the causes of constipation with lower back pain, and treatment options for relief.
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Constipation can affect several areas of your health and well-being. Your colon may be suffering internally, but your back can be taking the brunt of it. Your mental state may be negatively impacted by the worry of having problems with your stools, as well as the concern that something medically severe may be going on. The best thing to do in this case is to try and cure your constipation first. Tips to help prevent or relieve constipation include:
1. Stay Hydrated
Not staying hydrating and drinking enough water is often the cause of constipation. While everyone does not need the same amount of fluids, an easy way to remember to drink enough is the 8 by 8 rule. It refers to drinking 8 eight-ounce servings of water daily.
2. Eat More Fiber
Adding more fiber to your daily diet can help keep you regular. Consider eating raw fruit, nuts, beans and whole grains. You can also drink products with psyllium seed husk designed to loosen your stool. However, when consuming these products make sure to follow the directions.
3. Consider Probiotics
Sometimes your digestive system gets out of whack and an imbalance of good bacteria occurs. When this happens, you can experience diarrhea or constipation. To get things back in working order, you might consider taking a probiotic to regain digestive balance.
4. Consume More Roughage
5. Exercise More
6. Use a Hot or Cold Compress
7. Consult a Naturopathic Doctor
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Problems Digesting Food Such As Feeling Full Quickly When You Eat Bloating Burping Or Wind
The pancreas plays an important role in breaking down food . It is common for pancreatic cancer to cause problems with eating and digesting food.
Symptoms of this include feeling full up quickly when you eat, bloating of your tummy, lots of wind, and burping. But these symptoms are common problems and arent usually due to pancreatic cancer.
When You Should Use Constipation And Back Pain Remedies
Constipation and constipation-related low back pain can resolve independently if they stem from a low-fiber diet and dehydration. So, if your situation doesnt call for urgent medical assistance, you can try a few natural constipation remedies. These may come in handy in improving your waste excretion and alleviating the pressure on your lower back. Some examples of worthy options you should consider doing include:
- Increasing your water consumption
- Keeping your body in great shape by engaging in physical activities
- Including probiotics and prebiotics into your daily diet
- Following a low FODMAP diet to prevent constipation caused by irritable bowel syndrome
- Avoiding food products that upset the balance of your gut flora
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Can Constipation Trigger Lower Back Pain
Thousands of patients go to upper cervical chiropractic practices in the country for back pain. Notably, a significant fraction traces their symptoms to cervical subluxation. On the one hand, others associate their lower back pain with constipation, a digestive problem that affects 16 out of 100 American adults. Do you also experience constipation and lower back pain? If yes, you might need to call for help.
Several case studies found that digestive issues accompanied by lower back pain often indicate a serious underlying problem. For example, it could be a sign of Irritable Bowel Syndrome , endometriosis, pancreatic cancer, or bowel obstruction. Alternatively, it might be your bodys way of telling you that you have a severe liver problem. Lets look at what studies and other references say and how you should cope with your constipation-related back pain.
Back Spasms / Cramping
A sudden contraction or spasms in the back can cause a very severe pain. This condition is known as muscle cramping. However, this type of pain may disappear without you noticing it. With muscle spasms, this could either tell you that whatever it is you are doing should NOT be done again, or there is a more serious underlying issue in your spine. For immediate relief, seek muscle relaxant medication, heat/cold therapy, and slowly stretch the affected area by walking or rubbing it as much as possible. If the spasm occurs again and more frequently, seeking medical attention for the spasm would be in your best interest.
Avoid activities that could lead to back cramping or spasm.
When you experience any of these pains, it is good to visit a Pain Management Doctor to help you diagnose the source of your lower left side back pain. At first you may use over-the-counter pain relievers pain-relieving creams can be of help as well. However, as time goes by and this pain increases, your doctor may recommend certain medication or medical procedures if your pain is severe.
If medications arent helping, your Pain Management Doctor may recommend injections. These injections target irritated nerves by using a nerve root block method. Steroid medication are usually found in these injections. However, if you experience long back pain and is interfering with your daily life, then surgery may need to be an option for you.
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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, 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:
When To See Your Doctor
In most cases, its possible to apply home remedies and management to back pain caused by constipation. The pain usually subsides once the blockage has been removed, though patients need to monitor themselves if theyre prone to bouts of constipation.
However, there are situations where its more advisable that you consult your doctor immediately about your lower back pain:
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Can Physical Therapy Help Lower Back Pain
Physical therapy is one of the best ways to treat lower back pain, and if your bowel problems are related to back pain, it will ease those symptoms as well. Physical therapy will help ease lower back pain and help you find relief in motion. If you are struggling with this, it is best to seek physical therapy as soon as possible. This will help prevent any need for an operation down the line. In the worst cases, if you do need surgery, our team will be by your side every step of the way helping you recover.
To learn more about the link between lower back pain and constipation, or other bowel problems, call ProFysio Physical Therapy at 812-5200 or contact us online.
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