SGBP Final 4

Women suffer

from back pain

as part of their

everyday lives

3. Caring for babies and young children – breast feeding, bathing, picking up, etc.
   adds to the risk of back pain. All these acts involve lifting the baby at a time when
   the ligaments and muscles of the back are still lax. Incorrect lifting may result in
   severe back pain.


4. Menopause and peri-menopause: From the age of 35, the
   female hormone (estrogen) levels start to decline. Estrogen
   is essential for calcium absorption by the intestines and
   deposition in bones. When estrogen levels fall, the bones
   weaken and become brittle, a condition known as osteoporosis.
   Neck and back pain often begins or increases with age, so women in
   perimenopause may begin experiencing pain during this period. Furthermore,
   the less body fat a woman has, the greater the chances that she will experience
   menopausal symptoms.

Social causes

Domestic:

There are also social reasons as to why women are at greater risk of back pain than men.
The work many women do places them at high risk of back pain. Women still undertake
the majority of domestic tasks:

 Shopping - carrying heavy loads

 Cleaning - bending, twisting, pushing and pulling

 Ironing - standing and twisting

 Carrying heavy objects

 Gardening

 Vacuuming

Thus, while back pain in men is often a result of an injury, women suffer from back pain
as part of their everyday lives, a result of long-standing conditions or activities,
including domestic work and child care.