People don't realize it, but there are more women then men who suffer from back pain. Furthermore, the pain that women suffer is worse and lasts longer than that of their male counterparts.



The pain is also different: with men the backaches are more often caused by an injury. With a woman the pain comes from the things she must deal with every day of their lives.

Back pain in women is triggered by a number of things. The most common causes are things they do at home like lifting, gardening and vacuuming. Menstrual periods can also trigger back pain. Pregnancy is frequently a back pain issue. Up to sixty percent of all pregnant women have some back pain, and the pain can get especially bad during the last trimester. Women are more likely to have injuries that cause back pain than men as well, and their back pain is likely to take longer to heal.

Women are also more likely to get hurt on the job, especially as they work more often in professions that can be tough on the back: health care services, retailing, hotel services and catering. A huge number of nurses hurt their backs every year; nearly five percent of them will be unable to return to nursing. Back injuries cause more workdays to be missed by woman in a single year than any other problem.

Many women are at higher risk because their job involves repetitive motion, pulling, pushing or lifting. Examples of the kind of jobs that put woman at risk for back pain include factory work, cashier work, telephone operators and data entry workers. Other professions that are dangerous for the back include bank tellers, who stand all day, and teachers or caregivers of small children.

After these women work at jobs hazardous to their back during the day, many come home to prepare meals, clean house, feed the baby, do the laundry and finish the remainder of the household jobs. Many of these jobs include bending, lifting, standing and twisting. All prime risk factors for back pain, as is breastfeeding, leaning over a crib and picking up children of any size.

Even when a woman wants to dress up she is at risk for back problems. Those heels she loves so much can increase the pain in her back. Tight clothes affect ease of movement. Even a woman's bust can be a back pain issue. If her breasts are too large, they can throw the weight on her back.

Women cannot stop all the things they do just to try to prevent back pain. Children need their mothers and the things they do for them. The jobs they have outside the home are necessary for the income but as well their skills are needed in these jobs. There's no easy solution for the hard working women of the world.