Many do not understand why during menstruation the lower back and legs hurt. As you know, menstruation is one of the most important processes in a woman's body. The harmony of various organs and systems, as well as their physiological processes and reactions, will depend on it.
The menstrual or monthly cycle is the basis of the female anatomy, which is regulated by complex elements. Often during this period, girls and women complain of general malaise, nausea, vomiting, headaches and dizziness, and abdominal pain.
This is due to changes in the body. It is during this period that sensitivity, as a rule, increases, and a woman becomes more receptive to everything. Gynecologists are accustomed to various complaints, typical of them are abdominal pain. But girls also come to us with symptoms such as pain in the legs, lower back and between the legs, that is, those that affect the lower limbs of the body.
Why this is happening, is this condition normal or indicates some serious problems, not everyone knows.
Atypical pain -can legs hurt?
Menstruation in girls begins at the age of about 11-14 years and lasts until menopause - 50-60 years. During this period, more than once the female turns to experienced and specialized specialists - gynecologists.
Appeals can be for various reasons - just an annual examination or the presence of any complaints. Mostly with the question of why during menstruation it hurts between the legs, they come:
- mothers with their daughters at the beginning of the menstrual cycle;
- women of childbearing age;
- women who are waiting for menopause.
Pain syndrome can persist both during rest and during moments of physical activity. This is due to hormones that play an important role in this process. Many women and girls cannot even walk, any movement brings them discomfort.
Pain symptoms
Pain syndrome can affect the thigh, lower leg or foot, while being of a different nature. It can be a sharp, pulling or pressing pain associated with physiological changes or with already serious diseases - damage to blood vessels, bone tissue, damage to the nervous tissue.
Symptomatics may be as follows:
- pain when pressing on limbs;
- presence of a tumor, red spots and foci;
- change in motor activity, when moving, walking or even at rest.
Such symptoms may hint that a woman's bodyprone to dysmenorrhea - this is a pathology that just provokes a painful syndrome. If the gynecologist really makes such a diagnosis, then one can observe not only pain affecting the legs, but also discomfort in the abdomen, lower back, emotional upset and bad mood.
Only a comprehensive examination of the whole body will help to identify the cause, to confirm that the pain is definitely due to menstruation, and there are no more serious violations.
Many women after the age of 35 begin to complain more often about discomfort in their legs, for example, due to standing work. This may already indicate internal changes in bone structures, entailing more serious problems during the menstrual cycle, which is reinforced by the action of the hormonal background, namely the hormones of prostaglandins.
The latter act on the circulatory system, blood vessels, take an active part and regulate blood pressure throughout the body, and also help the uterus contract. Hence the pain in the lower extremities. The so-called premenstrual cycle syndrome is the main action of prostaglandin hormones.
PMS and soreness
Many do not know why legs hurt during menstruation. Almost all actions in the human body are in the regulation of the brain. This does not bypass the production of sex hormones. The body simply does not have time to drastically rebuild, which is why premenstrual syndrome occurs.
During this period, there is fluid retention, water inorgans and tissues. The muscles are in tension, pain between the legs also occurs due to problems with the stool. Heaviness can be felt throughout the body.
The action of diseases on pain
Not everyone knows why legs hurt before menstruation. At the same time, doctors have a whole list of diseases, the symptoms of which can be pain in the legs, between the legs and lower back.
These diseases are quite serious, it is important to identify them at the earliest stage so that they do not develop into a chronic character in the future.
Many do not understand why the legs hurt during menstruation. The reasons may be in the following diseases.
Endometriosis
Affects the uterus - an important reproductive organ of a woman. With a disease, the inner layer grows - the endometrium or mucous membrane.
Endometrium helps to attach the fetal egg to the uterus and further helps the embryo to develop. There are many nerve endings in the uterus, fatigue and heaviness of the legs can occur precisely because of them.
Algodysmenorrhea
Pathological condition due to hormonal imbalance. It can often manifest itself in conjunction with the incorrect location of the pelvic organs that are involved in the conception of a child.
The bend of the uterus, and with it the nerve cells and endings, can compress the internal cavity and irritate it, transmitting pain to the legs.
Various manifestations of spinal problems
When wondering why during menstruation it hurts between the legs, it should be borne in mind that at the moment, due to a sedentary lifestyle, every second person faces such problemsHuman. Changes are also taking place in the spinal cord.
Pain can be much stronger in the evening, thus provoking long-term persistence of discomfort.
Bad kidney function
Swelling of the legs, ulcers, blue skin tone, manifestation of veins and spider veins is aggravated during menstruation, as there is fluid retention and a change in internal pressure. This explains the problem of why my legs hurt a lot during menstruation.
Joint problems
Why does my right leg hurt during menstruation? It should be borne in mind that diseases such as arthritis, arthrosis and others can affect. These ailments can increase pain during a difficult period for a girl and a woman.
Polyneuropathy or nerve damage in the lower extremities
With the manifestation of such a disease, the legs quickly get tired, there is heaviness in the limbs, it is difficult to make even an extra movement.
The listed diseases are the main ones. They provoke pain in the legs during the production of a large amount of hormones and when the hormonal background changes.
Diagnosis
To rule out serious pathologies and make an accurate diagnosis, you should definitely consult a doctor. First of all, it can be a therapist or a gynecologist who will give a referral for the following examinations:
- general and biochemical analysis of blood and urine;
- analysis for the presence and action of sex hormones;
- pelvic ultrasound;
- vaginal swab for the presence or refutation of sexually transmitted diseases and infections.
Ifthere is a hint of damage to the veins, vessels and nerves of the lower extremities, their examinations are additionally prescribed.
Further, more in-depth diagnostics can be carried out by the following specialists: vascular surgeon, neurologist, rheumatologist.
Treatment
When the diagnosis is made, and it is determined why the legs hurt during menstruation, the doctor prescribes treatment. It should be comprehensive: medication, therapy with folk remedies, gymnastics or exercise therapy, the use of orthopedic materials.
With PMS, the normalization of the hormonal background is carried out by drugs of the same name - hormones. If there is such a need as the use of painkillers, neither the doctor nor the patient should neglect this. The treatment with vitamin complexes is fixed.
Compression stockings and insoles are recommended for the patient to relieve pain and keep the veins and joints in good condition. Compression classes are different, it is recommended to consult a phlebologist.
Currently, in pharmacies you can find a huge number of different ointments and gels to relieve pain in the legs. They can be cooling, warming or pain-relieving. But a certain drug is prescribed exclusively by a doctor.
Recommendations
In addition to drugs, young girls and women should pay attention to their lifestyle and, if necessary, correct it.
After a working day, it is recommended to take short walks. If workprovides for a sedentary nature, every 1.5 hours to do gymnastics and kneading exercises. Legs should not be thrown over each other, but simply kept in a relaxed straight position.
After an active day, it is recommended to raise your legs in a prone position at 70-90 degrees for 30 minutes. This should be done periodically to reduce the load on the lower limbs.
In the event of pain, grandmothers have long applied a cabbage leaf to the site of the lesion. This method can be used in the evening or at night.
You should also adhere to proper nutrition and saturate your body with vitamins, fruits, fresh vegetables, avoiding large amounts of fatty and junk food. Then the question of why the legs hurt during menstruation will bother less often or will not be relevant at all.
Manifestation of complications
If you do not see a doctor in time and do not identify the problem, the body can be seriously damaged. When the doctor prescribes a diagnosis, you can easily identify what causes pain in the legs. If you delay the solution of the problem, it can develop into a chronic form.
Many diseases from the gynecological side, which remain untreated, lead to infertility in women. This is especially dangerous for those who do not yet have children and who are planning to have them soon. Any unpleasant symptom makes its own adjustments to ordinary life.
Prevention
Prevention measures include:
- correctand comfortable orthopedic shoes;
- change in diet;
- active lifestyle;
- timely visit to the doctor.
Be sure to watch your excess weight. There is no need to follow strict diets, but nevertheless, nutrition should be balanced.
It is recommended to stop smoking, alcohol, do not drink coffee and tea in large quantities. Before the onset of menstruation, you should reduce the amount of fluid taken so as not to provoke swelling.
Conclusion
It is very important to timely notice changes in the body regarding the sexual and reproductive system of a woman.
Therapeutic therapy and manipulations recommended by the doctor should be maintained for the required amount of time, as prescribed by the doctor. After all, in addition to unpleasant symptoms, you can also earn a complex disease, which may be difficult to treat.
It is also necessary to remember that it is categorically not recommended to self-medicate and purchase drugs on the advice of friends, since only a specialist, based on the results of the examination and the severity of the disease, is able to prescribe the correct therapy, and also determine why the legs hurt during menstruation.
