Many do not understand why lower back and legs hurt during menstruation. 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 female anatomy, which is regulated by complex elements. Often during this period, girls and women complain of general malaise, nausea, vomiting, headaches and dizziness, abdominal pain.
This is due to changes in the body. It is during this period that the sensitivity, as a rule, increases, and the woman becomes more susceptible to everything. Gynecologists are accustomed to various complaints, typical of them are abdominal pain. But the girls also deal 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 happens, is this condition normal or speaks of some serious problems, not everyone knows.
Atypical pains - 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 sex turns to experienced and specialized specialists - gynecologists.
Appeals can be for various reasons - just an annual examination or the presence of any complaints. Basically with the question why during menstruation it hurts between the legs, come:
- mothers with daughters during the onset of the menstrual cycle;
- women of childbearing age;
- women who are waiting for menopause.
Pain can persist both at rest and at moments of motor 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.
Symptoms of pain
Pain can affect the thigh, lower leg, or foot, while being different in nature. This can be a sharp, pulling or pressing pain associated with physiological changes or with already serious diseases - vascular, bone tissue, damage to nerve tissue.
Symptoms may be as follows:
- pain with pressure on the limbs;
- the presence of a tumor, red spots and foci;
- a change in physical activity when moving, walking, or even at rest.
Such symptoms may hint that a woman's body is prone to dysmenorrhea - this is a pathology that just provokes a painful syndrome. If the gynecologist really makes such a diagnosis, then you can observe not only pains affecting the legs, but also discomfort in the abdomen, lower back, upset emotions and bad mood.
The reason will help to identify only a comprehensive examination of the whole body to confirm that the pain is precisely due to menstruation, and there are no more serious violations.
Many women after 35 years old begin to complain more often about unpleasant sensations in their legs, for example, due to standing work. This may already indicate internal changes in bone structures, which entail more serious problems during the menstrual cycle, which is supported 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, also help the uterus contract. From here comes the pain in the lower limbs. The so-called premenstrual cycle syndrome is the main action of prostaglandin hormones.
PMS and soreness
Many do not know why during menstruation sore legs. 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 rebuild sharply, which is why premenstrual syndrome occurs.
During this period, there is a delay in fluid, water in organs 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 effects of disease 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 an early stage, so that in the future they do not develop into a chronic one.
Many do not understand why their legs hurt during menstruation. The causes may be in the following diseases.
Endometriosis
It affects the uterus - an important reproductive organ of a woman. With the disease, the inner layer grows - the endometrium or the mucous membrane.
The endometrium helps the fetal egg attach to the uterus and further helps the embryo develop. There are many nerve endings in the uterus, fatigue and heaviness of the legs can occur precisely because of them.
Algodismenorea
Pathological condition due to hormonal imbalance. Often it can be manifested in conjunction with the incorrect location of the pelvic organs that are involved in the conception of the child.
The bend of the uterus, and with it the nerve cells and endings, can squeeze the internal cavity and irritate it, transmitting pain to the legs.
Various manifestations of spinal problems
When asking yourself why it hurts between the legs during menstruation, it is worth considering that at the moment every second person faces such problems due to a sedentary lifestyle. Changes occur in the spinal cord.
The pain can occur much stronger in the evening, thereby provoking a long persistence of unpleasant sensations.
Abnormal kidney function
Swelling of the legs, ulcers, blue skin tone, the 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 the legs hurt greatly during menstruation.
Joint problems
Why does the right leg hurt during menstruation? It is worth considering that diseases such as arthritis, arthrosis and others can affect. These ailments can aggravate pain in 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, heaviness in the limbs is noted, it is difficult to make even unnecessary movement.
The listed diseases are the main ones. They provoke pain in the legs during the production of a large number of hormones and with a change in the hormonal background.
Diagnostics
To exclude serious pathologies and make an accurate diagnosis, you should definitely consult a doctor. Primarily, this can be a therapist or gynecologist, who will give direction to the following examinations:
- general and biochemical analysis of blood and urine;
- analysis for the presence and effect of sex hormones;
- ultrasound examination of the pelvic organs;
- swab from the vagina for the presence or denial of diseases and infections, sexually transmitted infections.
If there is a hint of damage to the veins, vessels and nerves of the lower extremities, their examination is 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, folk remedies, gymnastics or exercise therapy, the use of orthopedic materials.
With PMS, hormonal levels are normalized with the same drugs - hormones. If there is such a need as the use of painkillers, neither the doctor nor the patient should neglect this. Fixed treatment with vitamin complexes.
To relieve pain, maintain veins and joints in good condition, the patient is recommended to use compression stockings and insoles. Compression classes are different, it is recommended to consult a phlebologist.
Currently, in pharmacies you can find a huge number of various ointments and gels to relieve pain in the legs. They can be cooling, warming or anesthetizing. 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 the work involves a sedentary character, do gymnastics and kneading exercises every 1.5 hours. Feet should not be thrown at each other, but just keep them in a relaxed upright position.
After an active day, it is recommended to raise your legs while lying down at 70-90 degrees for 30 minutes. This should be done periodically to reduce the load on the lower limbs.
When pain occurs, grandmothers have long applied a leaf of cabbage to 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 a large amount of fatty and junk food. Then the question of why the legs hurt during menstruation will bother less often or be completely irrelevant.
Manifestation of complications
If you do not consult a doctor on time and do not identify the problem, then the body can seriously suffer. When a doctor prescribes a diagnosis, you can easily identify what causes leg pain. If delayed with the solution to the problem, it can develop into a chronic form.
Many gynecological diseases that remain untreated lead to infertility in women. This is especially dangerous for those who still do not have children and who are planning them soon. Any unpleasant symptom makes its own adjustments to ordinary life.
Prevention
Prevention measures include:
- correct and comfortable orthopedic shoes;
- a change in diet;
- active lifestyle;
- timely access to a doctor.
Be sure to monitor overweight. You do not need to adhere to strict diets, but nonetheless, nutrition should be balanced.
It is recommended to give up smoking, alcohol, do not drink coffee and tea in large quantities. Before the onset of menstruation, the amount of fluid taken should be reduced so as not to provoke edema.
Conclusion
It is very important to notice in a timely manner in the body changes related to the reproductive and reproductive systems of women.
Therapeutic therapy and manipulations recommended by the doctor should be maintained for the necessary amount of time, as prescribed by the doctor. Indeed, 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 self-medication and the purchase of drugs on the advice of acquaintances is categorically not recommended, since only a specialist, based on the results of the examination and the severity of the disease, is able to prescribe the correct therapy, as well as determine why her legs hurt during menstruation.