Mexico City. Pregnancy and menopause entail a series of changes in the body that go beyond weight gain, hot flashes, swelling, cardiovascular complications and weakening of the pelvic floor in both cases, warn doctors from the Spine Center.
In most cases, according to the medical institution with more than 25 years of experience in treating spinal disorders, many other symptoms and discomforts interfere with women’s health.
Various studies indicate that low back pain and osteoarthritis are the main ailments in these stages of a woman’s life, causing serious effects such as fatigue when walking, decreased movement, pain in the legs, in the body in general and sciatica.
“Due to the decalcification produced by hormones during menopause and pregnancy, women tend to have pain, weakness or numbness in different parts of the body, as well as low back pain,” say medical specialists.
In the specific case of pregnancy, although 80% of women have low back pain due to the weight that supports this area, many women also have spinal complications during the postpartum stage due to mechanical changes and muscle imbalances. due to overload at the base of the spine.
“Low back pain occurs between 50 and 80% of pregnant women and is mainly due to hormonal changes (which during pregnancy provide an elastic capacity to tissues -ligaments, joints- to adapt to changes in the pelvis), and postural, followed by progressive weight gain,” explains the Spine Center.
Another of the changes that occur in the spine during is the accentuation of the lordotic curvature, that is, the development of lordosis, generating an overload of the lumbosacral joints.
“Since more weight is placed on the front of the body, the spine extends further back to help maintain balance. This change helps to center the weight of the fetus on the pelvis, reducing fatigue of the muscles of the lower back. If it weren’t for this change, a pregnant woman wouldn’t be able to stand up on her own without falling over.”
However, among the complications of this curvature, the reduction in the ability of the spine to bend forward due to the rigidity of the vertebrae stands out.
“This is usually what makes pregnant women have difficulty bending forward or even herniated discs due to the added pressure on the vertebrae.”
Although most back pain is relieved once the spine is able to correct its posture after pregnancy, this stage can also have other more serious effects on the area, such as rotation, which can be painful if it is not treated after the baby is born.
* In menopause*
During menopause, physical and psychological changes occur, such as prolonged periods between menses, dry skin, sudden changes in weight and, above all, weakening of bone mass that usually leads to diseases and conditions in the spine such as osteoporosis. or osteoarthritis.
“Osteoporosis is a systemic disease characterized by the weakening and decrease in bone mass, which is accentuated with menopause due to the decrease in the production of estrogen by the female body”, highlight the specialists of the Spine Center.
Likewise, approximately 80% of women who suffer from menopause have joint pain, almost half of them intense and difficult to bear. “The decrease in hormones is one of the main causes of osteoarthritis, that is, the wear of joint cartilage. The most common areas of the body to suffer from this ailment are the hands, knees, hips and the spine”, they describe.
Finally, joint inflammation is mainly caused by hormonal changes during menopause, as well as by the deficiency of some substances in the body, such as calcium and vitamin D.
All the conditions derived from these two stages in women are treatable with various procedures, among which is the Ovando Sanders Method, an original formula from the Spine Center that has proven its effectiveness in more than 35,000 patients.
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