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Constipation And Low Back Pain

Why does my Back Hurt when I am Constipated?

When it comes to constipation and pain in your lower back, we need to start by understanding the anatomy of our internal organs. You have your descending colon and rectum, your uterus and ovaries (for women), and your bladder and urethra. These all sit in the pelvis supported by your pelvic floor muscles. Because of the location of your colon, when you have constipation, you can have pain that radiates into your abdomen, but it can also radiate into your low back.

When you have low back pain, constipation should be a consideration for one reason you are having pain and it should be ruled out before considering more invasive diagnoses. 

Clinical constipation occurs when you are having fewer than three (3) bowel movements per week. However, normal bowel movements occur as few as three times per week and as often as three times daily. So, if you are having three bowel movements per week and you normally go daily, you wouldn’t be clinically constipated. But this isn’t normal for you and it is likely that you are suffering pain from delayed bowel movements or bloating.

If you're someone who normally goes once a day and you're only going once every two or three days, this could be an issue for you. This reduced bowel frequency could be a huge contributor of pain in your low back and your abdomen.

With my Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy Patients, I love to teach the "I Love You" massage. It is a great way to help your bowels get moving and you back pain to stop.

-Dr. Lauren Collier Peterson, PT, DPT

To Learn More, Schedule a FREE consultation with a Physical Therapist.Schedule Your Initial Evaluation with a Physical Therapist today.

FYZICAL Therapy & Balance Centers of Oklahoma City provides pelvic floor physical therapy in Lakeside, The Village, Nichols Hills and surrounding NW Oklahoma City. Our pelvic floor physical therapists are specially trained to treat all types of pelvic floor dysfunction including incontinence in men and women. Our practitioners take a patient-centered individualized approach that focuses on your pelvic health needs. If you are unsure about your pelvic health, or you want to see the FYZICAL Difference for yourself, schedule a free consultation today.