Patient's question:
Hello, I always have lower back pain before and during my period. What could be the reason? Thank you.Doctor's answer:
During the menstrual period, lower back pain is primary dysmenorrhea, also known as functional dysmenorrhea. It refers to menstrual pain that occurs without any reproductive system abnormalities. It often appears in a period following the first menstrual period of young women, more common in unmarried or married women who have not given birth. After childbirth, dysmenorrhea may alleviate or disappear. During menstruation, the immune system weakens, emotions become easily fluctuated, and some people may experience symptoms such as poor appetite, lower back pain, and fatigue. Due to menstrual blood loss, especially in cases of heavy menstruation, each menstrual period causes the loss of major blood components such as plasma protein, potassium, iron, calcium, and magnesium.Clinical symptoms of primary dysmenorrhea include: lower back pain and lower abdominal pain starting 1-2 days before menstruation. In severe cases, the pain may extend to the perineum and anus. It is often accompanied by nausea, frequent urination, constipation, or diarrhea. The pain can last for several hours or 1-2 days, gradually easing after the menstrual flow becomes regular. Reducing stress during menstruation and ensuring adequate sleep can help alleviate symptoms. Drinking brown sugar ginger soup, taking motherwort effervescent tablets, or injecting vitamin K3 can relieve dysmenorrhea. Most primary dysmenorrhea in young women often resolves on its own after marriage.
Treatment methods:
- For lower abdominal distending pain before or during menstruation, with reduced menstrual flow, dark purple blood, clots, and relief after passing clots, as well as breast tenderness, motherwort effervescent tablets or qi stagnation stomach pain effervescent tablets can be taken.
- For lower abdominal cold pain relieved by warmth, reduced menstrual flow, dark blood with clots, ai fu warm palace pills or warming the meridian pills can be taken.
- For (subtle pain) in the lower abdomen before or during menstruation, preference for warmth and pressure, reduced menstrual flow, pale, thin, and watery blood, and lackluster complexion, ba zhen yi mu pills or ginseng gui pi pills can be taken.
- For subtle lower abdominal pain before or during menstruation, lower back and knee weakness, dizziness, fatigue, reduced menstrual flow, pale, and balanced blood quality, qiang shen pills or river carriage great creation pills can be taken.
Additionally, an external application method can be used: grind 10 grams each of raw aconite, osmanthus herb, salvia miltiorrhiza, fennel, evodia fruit, pepper, angelica, and cinnamon into fine powder. Mix in 10 grams of borneol, blend well, and store in a sealed bottle. When using, take 10 grams of the powder, mix with white wine to form a paste. Disinfect the lower abdomen with alcohol, apply the paste, cover with gauze, and secure with adhesive tape. Change the application every 3 days. Combining internal and external treatments yields excellent results.