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The back pain you feel during your period is due to a “mix-up” or “confusion” in your brain’s pain signals. Medically, this is known as referred pain. But the underlying culprit of back pain during periods is the excess production of prostaglandins.
Most Common Cause of Back Pain During Periods
The reason your back hurts during periods is not that your back is injured, but because your uterus is working too hard and confusing your brain’s pain signals.
The Main Reason: Prostaglandins
- Every month, your body releases chemicals called prostaglandins to start your period.
- These chemicals tell your uterus to squeeze very tightly (contract) to push out the inner lining. This squeezing is what you feel as cramps in the front.
- When too many prostaglandins are made, the squeezing becomes too intense.
The Nerve Confusion & Brain Mix-Up
This intense squeezing causes the pain to move to your back through a simple “mix-up” in your body’s wiring:
- The nerves from your uterus and the nerves from your lower back are connected and travel along the same main path near your spine.
- When the uterus is squeezing so hard, the pain signal is so strong that it spills over and triggers the pain nerves in your back.
- Your brain gets the signal but mistakenly thinks the pain is coming directly from your back, not your uterus. This is why you feel the pain radiating from your abdomen to your lower back.
Other Reason for Lower Back Pain During Periods
Another small reason is due to your muscles tiring out:
- Hormone levels change, which can slightly weaken the muscles that support your lower belly and back (the pelvic floor).
- When these support muscles are weak, your lower back muscles have to work harder to keep you upright, which causes that familiar dull, achy soreness.
Back Pain During Periods: The Ayurvedic View
In the Ayurvedic system, period pain is mainly seen as a problem with the Vata Dosha (the element of air and movement) and its specific energy called Apana Vayu.
The Blocked Air (Apana Vayu)
- Apana Vayu is the energy in your body responsible for all downward movement, which includes menstruation, urination, and waste removal.
- For a pain-free period, this Vayu needs to flow smoothly and downward.
- When your diet or lifestyle is stressful (too much cold food, anxiety, or fast pace), the Vata Dosha increases and becomes erratic. This causes the Apana Vayu to get blocked or flow in the wrong direction (upwards or sideways).
The Back and Lower Body Connection
- The main seats of Vata in the body are the colon and the pelvic area (including the lower back).
- When the Apana Vayu is blocked in the uterus, the energy and pressure have nowhere to go.
- This trapped, erratic air pushes and spreads the discomfort to the nearest major Vata area, which is your lower back and sometimes your thighs.
In short: Back pain is a signal that your Apana Vayu is not flowing freely and downward. The key is to calm Vata and encourage the smooth, downward flow of energy.
Your Journey to #StopThePeriodPain Starts Here
Every month, millions of Indian girls & women suffer in silence, told that their severe period pain (dysmenorrhea) is “normal.” Our mission is to break that silence. #StopThePeriodPain campaign is here to empower you with 3 simple truths:
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