Back Pain: Clinical Updates in Womenʼs Health Care Primary and Preventive Care Review

• Published in: Obstetrics and gynecology (New York. 1953) Vol. 134; no. 3; p. 664
• Main Authors: Tailor, Yogita, Preston-Hsu, Elisabeth
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States by The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved 01.09.2019
• Subjects: Adult; Age Factors; Aged; Aging - physiology; Back Pain - etiology; Back Pain - physiopathology; Female; Humans; Middle Aged; Pregnancy; Women's Health - trends; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0029-7844; 1873-233X
• DOI: 10.1097/AOG.0000000000003423

Every age group experiences back pain, a common reason for activity limitation. Management of back pain in a woman is challenging because of physiologic and hormonal changes through the woman’s life cycle. The treatment is dictated by etiology and a woman’s stage of life or reproductive events, such as pregnancy, breastfeeding, and menopause. Most episodes of low back pain are temporary with minimal long-term sequelae, but recurrent and long-lasting episodes require more thorough clinical evaluation. This monograph describes the anatomy of the spine; illustrates a focused, thorough evaluation, including obtaining a medical history and performing a physical examination; discusses warning signs and symptoms of more serious etiologies; provides recommendations for further testing or referral; and offers case vignettes of common causes of low back pain as a woman progresses from young adulthood to advanced age.