Low back pain in women before and after menopause

Mateusz Kozinoga, Marian Majchrzycki, Sylwia Piotrowska, Mateusz Kozinoga, Marian Majchrzycki, Sylwia Piotrowska

Abstract

Low back pain is a massive problem in modern population, both in social and economic terms. It affects large numbers of women, especially those aged 45-60. Going through a perimenopausal period is associated with many symptoms, including low back pain. This paper is a review of published research on the association between the perimenopausal age and low back pain. PubMed databases were investigated. After the search was narrowed to "menopausal status, back pain", 35 studies were found. Seven studies, which suited our area of research best, were thoroughly analyzed. All studies show increased pain when women enter this period of their life. There is no agreement among researchers regarding which stage of menopause is the most burdensome. Examples of possible treatments and physiotherapeutic methods targeting low back pain are also presented. Physiotherapeutic procedures used to treat low back pain include exercises in safe positions, balance exercises, manual therapy, massage and physical measures.

Keywords: low back pain; menopause.

References

    1. Poomalar GK, Bupathy A. The quality of life during and after menopause among rural women. J Clin Diagn Res. 2013;7:135–139.
    1. Branden JB, Zhang L, Fn MY, et al. Mental health service use by older adults: the role of chronic pain. Am J Geriatr Psych. 2008;16:156–167.
    1. Stang PE, Brandenburg NA, Lane MC, et al. Mental and physical comorbid conditions and days in role among person with arthritis. Psychosom Med. 2006;68:152–158.
    1. Von Korff M, Crane P, Lane M, et al. Chronic spinal pain and physical-mental comorbidity in the United States: results from the national comorbidity survey replication. Pain. 2005;113:331–339.
    1. Whelan TJ, Goss PE, Ingle JN, et al. Assessment of quality of life in MA. 17: a randomized, placebo controlled trial of letrozole after 5 years of tamoxifen in postmenopausal women. J Clin Oncol. 2005;23:6931–6940.
    1. Cray L, Mitchell E, Woods N. Symptom clusters during the late menopausal transition stage: observations from the Seattle Midlife Women's Health Study. Menopause. 2010;17:972–977.
    1. Palmer K, Walsh K, Bendall H, et al. Back pain in Britain: comparison of two prevalence surveys at an interval of 10 years. BMJ. 2000;320:1577–1578.
    1. Van Tulder MW, Koes BW, Bouter LM. A cost-of-illness study of back pain in the Netherlands. Pain. 1995;62:233–240.
    1. Chaitow L, Fritz S. Livingstone: Elsevier Churchill; 2007. A Massage Therapist's Guide to Lower Back & Pelvic Pain.
    1. Dugan SA, Powell LH, Kravitz HM, et al. Musculoskeletal pain and menopausal status. Clin J Pain. 2006;22:325–331.
    1. Szoeke CE, Cicuttini FM, Guthrie JR, Dennerstein L. The relationship of reports of aches and joint pains to the menopausal transition: a longitudinal study. Climacteric. 2008;11:55–62.
    1. Mitchell ES, Woods NF. Pain symptoms during the menopausal transition and early postmenopause. Climacteric. 2010;13:467–478.
    1. Manabe T, Takasugi SI, Iwamoto Y. Positive relationship between bone mineral density and low back pain in middle-aged women. Eur Spine J. 2003;12:596–601.
    1. Sievert LL, Goode-Null SK. Musculoskeletal pain among women of menopausal age in Puebla, Mexico. Journal of Cross-Cultural Gerontology. 2005;20:127–140.
    1. Brennan Braden J, Young A, Sullivan MD, et al. Predictors of change in pain and physical functioning among post-menopausal women with recurrent pain conditions in the Women's Health Initiative Observational Cohort. Pain. 2012;13:64–72.
    1. Urquhart DM, Bell R, Cicuttini FM, et al. Low back pain and disability in community-based women: prevalence and associated factors. Menopause. 2009;16:24–29.
    1. Park JJ, Shin J, Youn Y, et al. Bone mineral density, body mass index, postmenopausal period and outcomes of low back pain treatment in Korean postmenopausal women. Eur Spine J. 2010;19:1942–1947.
    1. Holte A. Influences of natural menopause on health complaints: a prospective study of healthy Norwegian women. Maturitas. 1992;14:127–141.
    1. Ohayon M. Severe hot flashes are associated with chronic insomnia. Arch Intern Med. 2006;166:1262–1268.
    1. Chou R, Qaseem A, Snow V, et al. Diagnosis and treatment of low back pain: a joint clinical practice guideline from the American College of Physicians and the American Pain Society. Ann Intern Med. 2007;15:478–491.
    1. Saper RB, Sherman KJ, Delitto A, et al. Yoga vs. physical therapy vs. education for chronic low back pain in predominantly minority populations: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. Trials. 2014;15:67.
    1. Mishra N, Mishra VN, Devanshi Exercise beyond menopause: Dos and Don'ts. J Midlife Health. 2011;2:51–56.
    1. Li WC, Chen YC, Yang RS, Tsauo JY. Effects of exercise programme on quality of life in osteoporotic and osteopenic postmenopausal women: a systemic review and meta-analysis. Clin Rehabil. 2009;23:888–896.
    1. Kim KZ, Shin A, Lee J, et al. The beneficial effect of leisure-time physical activity on bone mineral density in pre- and postmenopausal women. Calcified Tissue International. 2012;91:178–185.
    1. Hayden J, Van Tulder MW, Malmivaara A, Koes BW. Exercise therapy for treatment of non-specific low back pain. Ann Intern Med. 2005;142:765–775.
    1. Abenhaim L, Rossignol M, Valat JP, et al. The role of activity in the therapeutic management of back pain. Report of the International Paris Task Force on Back Pain. Spine. 2000;25:1–33.
    1. Chou R, Huffman LH. Nonpharmacologic therapies for acute and chronic low back pain: a review of the evidence for an American Pain Society/American College of Physicians clinical practice guideline. Ann Intern Med. 2007;147:492–504.
    1. Cherkin DC, Deyo RA, Battié B, et al. Comparison of physical therapy, chiropractic manipulation, and provision of an educational booklet for the treatment of patients with low back pain. N Engl J Med. 1998;339:1021–1029.
    1. Meade TW, Dyer S, Browne W, Frank AO. Randomised comparison of chiropractic and hospital outpatient management for low back pain: results from extended follow up. BMJ. 1995;311:349–351.
    1. Bronfort G, Haas M, Evans R, et al. Effectiveness of manual therapies: the UK evidence report. Chiropractic & Osteopathy. 2010;18:3.

Source: PubMed

Sponsors and Collaborators

Medical Conditions

Drug Interventions

3
Subscribe