Endometriosis Back Pain: What, Why, and How to Help

When people first hear of endometriosis, a lot of people think of “painful periods”. Common symptoms are bloating, lower stomach, nausea, just to name a few. And these symptoms can happen anytime during a menstrual cycle.

While back pain isn’t one of the most common symptom, it is back pain was one of my very first and sometimes very last symptom (when treatment is working). So I’m going to talk a bit today about what it feels like, why we get it (according to the experts) and how to ease this symptom.

Where is endometriosis back pain located?

Endometriosis can show up anywhere. I had mine coming out of my belly button at one point. So that means, you can get pain anywhere too.

However, for me, it was always my lower back that experienced endometriosis pain. Kinda like when you get cramps, you feel them in your lower stomach, so in that area, but just on the back side.

What does back pain from endometriosis feel like?

I always got period cramps by my lower back so didn’t really think once or twice about it. But as my endometriosis got worse, so did my back pain.

For me, it feels like an overall burning sensation and a bit like my back wants to bloat (but there is no room to bloat. Sitting is usually uncomfortable, and I definitely don’t feel like doing any exercise.

Now that I’m regularly doing yoga and working out my lower back, I can say it does feel similar to this type of muscle work out pain, but more wide spread than just my lower back muscles. So it reaches a wider area than if my lower back was just sore from a workout.

Other women have had different experiences. Sometimes it is lower back pain, thigh pain and even butt pain. Or it can feel like your lumbar spine and butt pain.

How long does back pain last with endometriosis?

Now for me, it totally depends on where I am with my endometriosis. I’ve had 3 surgeries and I’ve been on countless medication, some that worked, and some that didn’t.

When my medication is working and I’m getting less “flare ups”, usually the next day my back pain is gone. When I have been at my worse, I had pain non stop.

My pain rarely coincided with my periods. My bleeding belly button did coincide with my period, but even the pain around that seemed to happen randomly.

So I’m sadden to say that it could last a short time, it could last a long time, it totally depends on you and what your body is doing.

Why does endometriosis cause back pain?

Unfortunately, we just don’t really know (yet). It could be the inflammation. It could be endometriosis lesions growing on the back or back of the pelvis. Some women have very severe endometriosis and don’t feel anything. Others have small endometriosis and experience very bad pain.

What helps with lower back pain due to endometriosis?

Ok, so now you know what it feels like, where it shows up, and how long it can last. So how do you get rid of it?

I’ve been “suffering” from endometriosis since 2014. I am happy to say I’m not currently suffering from it and I hope for it to stay that way. I use both traditional medicine, as well as more natural resources. I think both varieties can help, so if endometriosis is bugging you, I recommend to look at everything!

Fern Valley Farm’s CBD Lotion

This stuff is AMAZING! I’ve tried other CBD lotions before, but nothing worked liked this worked. I used it on both my back and my stomach when I was having bad pain. And I’ll still use it on joints if I pull a muscle.

I don’t know what makes Fern Valley Farm’s CBD Lotion work so well, but it does have TONS of CBD in it (1000mg), so that could be one reason. My mother also uses it for her arthritis. I can’t recommend this stuff enough.

CBD Bath Salts

A warm bath is a great way to get your muscles to relax and inflammation to lower. And CBD, again, is a great addition. When I’m having a flare up, taking a warm bath with some CBD bath salts is amazing.

Heating Pad

My heating pad is my best friend when I’m having endometriosis flare ups. It really helps me not feel the pain, and it seems to help the inflammation as well a bit. There are some great portable heating pads out there too, but just any plug and play heating pad will do well!

Ibuprofen

This over the counter medicine does help with inflammation. So take it! This, coupled with a warm CBD bath, CBD lotion, and your heating pad, you will start feeling relaxed and in less pain. Remember to take as recommended!

Mindfulness

Wait, what?? Mindfulness can help with a flare up? I know, I know, if somebody told this to me years ago when I was in the mist of a flare up, I’d tell them to f*** off!

But did you know that we can increase or decrease our pain depending on our state of mind? When we are in a fight or flight response, and our brain is in high alert, pain can actually get worse. My pain does.

I don’t like the term “endo warrior” because it tells me I must FIGHT my endo. But when I feel like that, and get stuck in the fight or flight loop, my pain worsens. By a lot. This could be why some women feel endo pain and others, simply, do not.

So when you are in a flare up, calm yourself. You will survive this. You have nothing to do but rest. You are ok. You are safe.

If you want to learn more about how mindfulness can help you fight pain, I highly recommend the book The Way Out. It changed my life.

You Got this

Whatever you do to try to relax, just remember, you got this. You won’t die. It is uncomfortable. But take time to relax, do whatever it takes to feel a bit better, and just rest your body. Whatever is going on, you got this. Take some time for yourself!

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