You know that pain? Yeah right there. You stand up from a chair and grab your lower back because it hurts. Lower back pain can put you down and out and can get in the way of being able to live your life.

The lower back is a target area for pain. Many people will experience pain in their lower back at some point in their lives. According to WebMD, the lower back is subject to a lot of stress and strain, as the weight of the upper body puts a heavy load on the lower back.

You may have thought before that the cause of lower back pain is old age, but that is not necessarily true. It's common for many people to start feeling back pain by the age of 30. 

There are so many causes of lower back pain that sometimes it is hard to pinpoint exactly where or what your lower back pain is coming from. Causes of lower back pain can also vary between men and women.

Because men’s and women’s bodies develop differently in size, shape, muscle etc., and some men and women are active in different activities, lower back pain can be caused by different things for both genders. Did you know that back pain is more common in women? Here are a few causes of lower back pain for women: 

PREGNANCY

• OK, all you soon to be mamas. If you haven’t experienced it already, it's likely that you will. Pregnancy can cause significant lower back pain because of the extra weight your back is supporting during pregnancy. 
• The increase of hormones in your body when you are pregnant allows the ligaments in the pelvic area to soften and the joints to become looser. This prepares the body for birth but the looser ligaments can affect the support in your back, increasing the chance for pain.

Other common causes of lower back pain in women are... 

KIDS

• Kids are amazing. They are fun, cute, and lovable. But all that chasing and lifting can sometimes put a strain on your lower back. Moms, how many times have you bent down to pick up your child and lifted with your back? When only the lower back muscles are doing the lifting work, it can cause injury and lower back pain.

MOM DUTIES

• Bending over seems to be a constant in a mother’s day. Whether you’re bending over the dirty dishes to get them clean, bending over to pick up the toys in the living room, or again, bending over to pick up your child, this can all put stress on the lower back.

OVERUSE

• Overuse of back muscles can happen from any of the mentioned causes above. Anywhere from picking up your kid on the floor to working out at the gym, overuse can cause strain in the muscles. 

Sitting or standing for long periods of time can also put pressure on the discs in the lower spine and cause some inflammation and pain.  

OTHER CAUSES 

There are other common causes of lower back pain in women and men.

Poor posture

• Hunched shoulders ruin the natural s-curve in your spine. When that natural s-curve is tweaked at the top of the spine it will put more pressure on the lower back and the pressure causes pain.

Stress

• If you're under significant stress, you may be having a hard time managing it healthily. You may be sleeping poorly, have a poor diet and get little to no exercise. Stress will increase tightness in your muscles and can result in back pain

Degenerative or herniated discs

• This condition where the discs either lose cushioning or they slip through a crack of the spine can cause a lot of pain. It is a common cause of lower back pain that will lead to pain down the leg. 

Now that you know the causes of lower back pain in women, look for our blog post with stretches to relieve the pain at home! The Chirp Wheel will also help you stretch effectively at home to relieve that pain.