How To Relieve Constipation Back Pain
Back pain caused by fecal impaction – It’s possible for fecal impaction to cause low back pain, Fecal impaction occurs when a piece of dry stool is stuck in the colon or rectum. The pressure in the rectum or colon can result in pain radiating to the back or abdomen.
- The first line of treatment for constipation is changing what you eat.
- Try adding more fiber and water to your diet to help soften your stool and make it easier to pass.
- If constipation occurs after starting a new diet or taking a new medication, call your doctor.
- They can help you adjust the diet or medication or give the OK to stop it altogether.
Some common treatments for constipation include the following:
Exercise regularly. Physical activity promotes proper circulation and keeps your bowels healthy. Increase your water consumption. See how much water you should drink per day. Add more fiber to your diet. Check out our list of 22 high-fiber foods, Begin a regular bowel movement schedule. Here’s how.
Over-the-counter stool softeners, suppositories, and laxatives can help with temporary constipation. You can also try natural stool softeners and laxatives, For cases of chronic constipation, your doctor can help treat the underlying cause. If resolving your constipation doesn’t greatly reduce or eliminate your back pain, chances are they’re unrelated.
Talk to your doctor about evaluating your back pain. With a change of diet and increased water consumption, constipation often resolves on its own. Sometimes when constipation is resolved, back pain lessens or disappears. If not, talk to your doctor specifically about treatment to relieve your back pain.
If your constipation and back pain are severe, see your doctor as soon as possible. They can help you find relief.
Contents
Can constipation make your back hurt?
Does Constipation Cause Lower Back Pain? – The buildup of stool in your intestines may cause lower back pain or a dull aching sensation in this part of your back. If your constipation is causing your lower back pain, your pain will gradually go away after you start having regular bowel movements. Fecal impaction is another common cause of lower back pain. Fecal impaction is when a piece of dry stool gets stuck in your colon or rectum.
What part of your back hurts with constipation?
So, How Does Constipation Cause Back Pain? – I won’t sugarcoat this with niceties. Constipation swells the intestines with retained fecal matter, and this can lead to serious discomfort across the abdomen and back area. This kind of pain is most commonly reported as a dull ache in the lower back, where the backup of stool radiates pressure upon surrounding parts of the body.
Can you still fart when constipated?
Flatulence – According to Dr. Maser, if you notice you’re passing gas more often than usual—and especially if it smells particularly bad—it might be related to constipation. As for why it happens, there are two schools of thought. “There’s the mechanical, and there’s the bacterial overgrowth theory,” Dr.
Maser explained. Basically, your gas could smell worse because, just like with bloating, air is getting trapped in your stomach, surrounded by poop, which just makes the air smell more before it’s passed. The other theory is that backed-up stool causes bacterial overgrowth. That bacteria produces gas, and sometimes it’s smelly gas.
It might also be one of the reasons people get bloated.
What pressure point helps with constipation?
Kidney 6: Shining Sea – Kidney 6 (KI6) is an acupressure point on the foot used to induce bowel movements. According to TCM, it can ease constipation by promoting fluid production. To use this point for acupressure:
- Find the KI6 point below your inner ankle bone.
- Press on the point with your thumb or index finger.
- Apply circular pressure for 1 to 3 minutes.
- Repeat on your other foot.
Acupressure can help relieve some symptoms of constipation. According to licensed acupuncturist Dr. Kim Peirano, DACM, LAc, acupressure promotes peristalsis, the movement of your intestinal muscles. This helps move stool through your digestive system. The practice also activates the vagus nerve, which is involved in healthy digestive function.
The vagus nerve sends signals between your brain and digestive system. Additionally, according to a 2019 study, acupressure increases endorphins. This relaxes muscles and reduces stress, which is helpful if your constipation symptoms are due to stress. Acupressure is generally considered safe, but it may not be for everyone.
Use caution if you’re pregnant. Some pressure points can induce labor, To reduce the risk of complications, consult a trained acupressure professional. You should also avoid acupressure if you have:
- lung, kidney, or heart disease
- a pacemaker
- inflamed or injured skin
Additionally, the practice has potential side effects, including:
- bruising
- soreness
- lightheadedness
Avoid using hard, deep pressure to help prevent these side effects. You can try several other strategies to prevent and relieve constipation. In addition to acupressure, you might try the following:
- Eat high-fiber foods. Fiber softens and bulks up your stools, making them easier to pass. High-fiber foods include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes.
- Stay hydrated. Drinking extra fluids will also soften your stools. It’s important to stay hydrated as you eat more fiber.
- Stay active. Routine exercise can promote regular bowel movements. Try aerobic exercise or yoga to get things moving.
- Take magnesium citrate. Magnesium citrate is a natural remedy for constipation.
- Manage stress. Stress can cause or worsen constipation. Focusing on stress relief can naturally relieve your symptoms.
- Train your bowels. It can be helpful if you’re able to have a bowel movement at the same time every day. You should also pass stool as soon as you feel the urge.
- Take an over-the-counter (OTC) treatment. OTC medications like laxatives, stool softeners, or fiber supplements may also help. Check with your doctor before taking any of these treatments.
- Change your medications. Some medications may worsen constipation. Talk with a doctor about changing the dose or taking a different medication.
Acupressure is a natural remedy for constipation. According to practitioners, it triggers bowel movements by promoting peristalsis and increases gastric juices. The practice is also said to relieve stress, a common cause of constipation. You can perform acupressure on yourself at home.
What does severe constipation feel like?
Constipation can be an uncomfortable problem. In severe cases, constipation can be painful or even life-threatening. Because normal bowel frequency can vary greatly from person to person, many people may not be entirely sure whether or not they are constipated.
Constipation is a medical condition in which bowel movements become less frequent than normal, and/or difficult to produce. While clinically defined as not producing bowel movements for three days or longer, if a person’s regular bowel schedule is two or three times a day, that person might be constipated if he or she hasn’t produced a single bowel movement after only one day.
Exercises for Relieving Constipation, IBS Bloating and Abdominal Pain
Patients may be constipated if they are experiencing one or more of the following symptoms: Abdominal pain and bloating, Constipated patients may feel tightness in their abdomen, or a sharp, cramping pain deep in their gut. They may also feel full all the time—as if they’ve just eaten a large meal—even when they haven’t eaten for several hours.
Patients may also feel gassy, but passing gas does not relieve discomfort. Nausea and/or vomiting, It may seem counterintuitive, but nausea and vomiting can be a symptom of constipation. While constipation affects the intestines and not the stomach, being constipated slows down the entire digestive system, which can delay or prevent food in the stomach from reaching the intestines.
When this happens, constipated patients may feel nauseous or even vomit. Diarrhea may also result if the body’s overall digestive process is impaired by partial stool blockages. Hard stools or inability to have a bowel movement, Constipation causes stools to dehydrate and harden, which makes bowel movements difficult.
- Sometimes it can be hard for people to determine whether or not their stools are hard, however.
- To help educate patients about stools, a British hospital developed the Bristol Stool Chart, 1 Bristol Stool Chart.
- Continence Foundation of Australia.
- Http://www.continence.org.au/pages/bristol-stool-chart.html.
Accessed January 2015. sometimes called the Bristol Stool Scale, as a simple visual guide for assessing stool hardness. The chart illustrates seven types of stools. When patients consult their doctor about possible constipation, they can reference the chart to explain their recent stools.
- Small stools followed by a feeling of not emptying the bowels,
- Constipation may cause people to produce only tiny bowel movements.
- These tiny bowel movements are often followed by frequent and continued urges to “go,” but constipated patients may find they are unable to produce another bowel movement despite the constant urges.
Infrequent bowel movements, Patients who are producing fewer bowel movements per day or week than is normal for them may be constipated. While the medical definition of constipation is producing fewer than three bowel movements per week, some patients may still feel constipated even if they are producing five or six bowel movements per week.
- Straining during a bowel movement,
- Constipated patients may have to push and strain their entire lower bodies to produce a bowel movement.
- They may even develop sore abdominal muscles or feel as if they are engaging in hard physical labor every time they go to the bathroom.
- Despite these straining efforts, patients still may not be able to produce a bowel movement, or do so only with great discomfort.
Rectal bleeding due to the development of anal fissures and/or hemorrhoids caused by hard stools, The strain of passing hard stools can cause the development of varicose veins in the rectum, which are known as hemorrhoids. Hemorrhoids can be painful, itchy, or both. Dr. Erich Widemark is a faculty member of the Nurse Practitioner program and the Director of Simulation Education for the University of Phoenix, College of Health Sciences and Nursing. He has held various roles with the University of Phoenix, including Director of Nursing, Lead Faculty Area chair, and Subject Matter Expert for Curriculum Development within the Nurse Practitioner Program.
What side do you massage for constipation?
Constipation is one of the most common reasons why people see a doctor. Massage may be one way to help relieve long-term (chronic) constipation. Constipation happens when you have difficult, uncomfortable, or few bowel movements. Normally, your colon absorbs water and minerals from the waste, which makes it solid.
- Not enough exercise
- Not enough water
- Not eating enough fruits and vegetables
- Medications
- Aging
- Thyroid disease
- Misusing laxatives
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Brain disorders that keep your intestines from working
- Spine injuries
- Ignoring the urge to poop
- Lifestyle changes like traveling
Constipation can be uncomfortable, but it’s not usually a serious health problem, Some people feel that they need to have a bowel movement every day, but it’s different for everyone. Some can go a few days without passing stool. You might be constipated if:
- You strain while passing stool
- You feel bloated
- It hurts to pass stool
- You feel sluggish
- Your stomach hurts
- Your stool is hard and lumpy
Most people can find constipation relief by drinking more water, getting more fiber in their diet, and exercising more often. An abdominal massage for constipation is best for certain people and causes of constipation. This includes:
- Long-term constipation
- Constipation with stool leakage
- Constipation with loss of bowel control
- People with stable spine injuries or disabilities
- People with brain disorders like Parkinson’s or multiple sclerosis
- People who are immobile
- Older people
Abdominal massage can help teach your bowel muscles what to do and ease some of your symptoms. Research shows that massaging your abdomen when you’re constipated can help:
- Ease pain and discomfort
- Lower the time it takes for waste to move through your intestines (transit time)
- Trigger muscle contraction and relaxation
Massage techniques for constipation have different names, including:
- Effleurage
- Kneading
- Self-abdominal massage
- I love you massage for infants
If you want to try it, start by lying on your back. Put a small amount of massage oil on your abdomen. Next:
- Bring your knees to your chest and gently squeeze for 1 or 2 minutes. This can help release some of the tension in your abdomen.
- Put both hands at the bottom of your abdomen in the middle and below your belly button. Pull your hands up with moderate pressure toward your ribs. Repeat 10 times.
- Put both hands on the small of your back. Bring them around to the front and down over your hips toward your groin. Repeat 10 times.
- Make a fist with your right hand and place it on your abdomen at hipbone level. Press firmly into your belly and slide your hand in a circular motion up toward your ribs, across your belly, down to your left hip bone, and back across the bottom of your belly. Repeat 10 times.
- With your hand still in a fist, start at your left ribs and make firm circular motions. Slide down to your left hip bone. Repeat 10 times and then switch to the right side. Start on your right side at your hip level and move up to your ribcage.
- Finish the massage with 2 minutes of full circular massage around your belly, starting from the bottom right.
Time your massage to when you would normally expect to have a bowel movement: about 30 minutes to 1 hour after eating. Stomach massages work well for people who have long-term health problems, older people, and people with disabilities. But some shouldn’t use massage to help constipation, including those who:
- Have inflammatory bowel disease
- Have a swollen colon with irritable bowel syndrome
- Are pregnant
- Have an unstable spine injury
- Have a stomach wound like stitches or other sores
If you have constipation with any of these symptoms, you might have a bowel emergency :
- Waves of severe cramping
- Throwing up
- Severe pain
- Loud gurgling noises in your belly
- Feeling gassy but can’t pass wind
If you notice any of these symptoms, see your doctor right away. If you’re struggling with constipation, talk to your doctor about ways to manage the problem.
Is a hot bath good for constipation?
8. Aids good digestion – You may not initially place a bath or shower in the ‘helps with digestion’ category; however, studies have shown that a benefit of a warm bath is that it can aid in alleviating constipation. Constipation is a common issue for many of us as we grow older.
Why does my lower back hurt when I have to poop?
The lowdown – Dull lower back pain can occur with constipation. It is worth talking to your doctor if you have any red flag symptoms such as severe pain, blood in your stool, fever, symptoms indicating bowel obstruction, loss of sensation or function of lower limbs, or other concerning symptoms.
You can ease constipation by making lifestyle changes, including drinking more water, being more active, and gradually adding fiber to your diet. Some medications may cause constipation, so speak to your doctor if you’re taking any medicines with that side effect. Certain conditions like IBS, IBD, and an underactive thyroid can cause constipation, warranting further investigation.
If you’re not constipated but have lower back pain when pooping, this can indicate possible IBS, sciatica, or endometriosis. It’s best to see a doctor if you have symptoms of these conditions so you can learn how to manage them and improve your quality of life.
Is it OK if I haven’t pooped in 4 days?
Being constipated means your bowel movements are tough or happen less often than normal. Almost everyone goes through it at some point. Although it’s not usually serious, you’ll feel much better when your body is back on track. The normal length of time between bowel movements varies widely from person to person.
Few bowel movements Trouble having a bowel movement (straining to go) Hard or small stools A feeling that everything didn’t come out Belly bloating
You also may feel like you need help to empty your bowels, such as pressing on your belly or using a finger to remove stool from your bottom. Some causes of constipation include:
Changes to what you eat or your activities Not enough water or fiber in your diet Eating a lot of dairy products Not being active Resisting the urge to poop Stress Overuse of laxatives Some medications (especially strong pain drugs such as narcotics, antidepressants, and iron pills) Antacid medicines that have calcium or aluminum Eating disorders Irritable bowel syndrome Pregnancy Problems with the nerves and muscles in your digestive system Colon cancer Neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s disease or multiple sclerosis An underactive thyroid (called hypothyroidism ) Excess calcium in your blood (hypercalcemia) due to overactive parathyroid glands, medications, cancer (lung, breast, multiple myeloma), or other causes
Take these steps:
Drink two to four extra glasses of water a day, unless your doctor told you to limit fluids for another reason. Try warm liquids, especially in the morning. Add fruits and vegetables to your diet. Eat prunes and bran cereal. Exercise most days of the week. When you move your body, the muscles in your intestines are more active, too. Don’t ignore the urge to poop.
You can try taking a laxative, too. There are several types of laxatives, and you can buy many of them over the counter. Each of them works in a different way to ease constipation. Ask your doctor or pharmacist which kind might work for you and how long you should take it.
You’ve never been constipated before now. You have stomach pain, You notice blood in your stools. You’re losing weight without trying.
Don’t let constipation go unchecked for too long. When untreated, constipation can lead to unpleasant complications such as hemorrhoids and rectal prolapse, a condition in which part of the intestine pushes out through the anus from too much straining.
Constipation is a new problem for you and lifestyle changes haven’t helped. You have blood in your stool. You’re losing weight even though you’re not trying to. You have severe pain with bowel movements. Your constipation has lasted more than 2 weeks. The size, shape, and consistency of your stool has changed dramatically.
Your doctor may recommend some tests to find the cause of your constipation:
Blood tests to check on hormone levels Tests that check the muscles in your anus Tests that show how waste moves through and out of your colon Colonoscopy to look for blockages in your colon
Why can’t I poop even after laxatives?
A fecal impaction is a large lump of dry, hard stool that stays stuck in the rectum. It is most often seen in people who are constipated for a long time. Constipation is when you are not passing stool as often or as easily as is normal for you. Your stool becomes hard and dry.
You do not move around much and spend most of your time in a chair or bed.You have a disease of the brain or nervous system that damages the nerves that go to the muscles of the intestines.
Certain drugs slow the passage of stool through the bowels:
Anticholinergics, which affect the interaction between nerves and muscles of the bowelMedicines used to treat diarrhea, if they are taken too oftenNarcotic pain medicine, such as methadone, codeine, and oxycontin
Common symptoms include:
Abdominal cramping and bloatingLeakage of liquid or sudden episodes of watery diarrhea in someone who has chronic (long-term) constipation Rectal bleedingSmall, semi-formed stoolsStraining when trying to pass stools
Other possible symptoms include:
Bladder pressure or loss of bladder controlLower back painRapid heartbeat or lightheadedness from straining to pass stool
The health care provider will examine your stomach area and rectum. The rectal exam will show a hard mass of stool in the rectum. You may need to have a colonoscopy if there has been a recent change in your bowel habits. This is done to check for colon or rectal cancer.
Treatment for the condition starts with removal of the impacted stool. After that, steps are taken to prevent future fecal impactions. A warm mineral oil enema is often used to soften and lubricate the stool. However, enemas alone are not enough to remove a large, hardened impaction in most cases. The mass may have to be broken up by hand.
This is called manual removal:
A provider will need to insert one or two fingers into the rectum and slowly break up the mass into smaller pieces so that it can come out.This process must be done in small steps to avoid causing injury to the rectum.Suppositories inserted into the rectum may be given between attempts to help clear the stool.
Surgery is rarely needed to treat a fecal impaction. An overly widened colon (megacolon) or complete blockage of the bowel may require emergency removal of the impaction. Most people who have had a fecal impaction will need a bowel retraining program. Your provider and a specially trained nurse or therapist will:
Take a detailed history of your diet, bowel patterns, laxative use, medicines, and medical problemsExamine you carefully.Recommend changes in your diet, how to use laxatives and stool softeners, special exercises, lifestyle changes, and other special techniques to retrain your bowel.Follow you closely to make sure the program works for you.
With treatment, the outcome is good. Complications may include:
Tear (ulceration) of the rectal tissueTissue death ( necrosis ) or rectal tissue injury
Tell your provider if you have chronic diarrhea or fecal incontinence after a long period of constipation. Also tell your provider if you have any of the following symptoms:
Abdominal pain and bloating Blood in the stool Sudden constipation with abdominal cramps, and an inability to pass gas or stool. In this case, do not take any laxatives. Call your provider right away.Very thin, pencil-like stools
Impaction of the bowels; Constipation – impaction; Neurogenic bowel – impaction Iturrino JC, Lembo AJ. Constipation. In: Feldman M, Friedman LS, Brandt LJ, eds. Sleisenger and Fordtran’s Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease: Pathophysiology/Diagnosis/Management,11th ed.
Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2021:chap 19. Zainea GC. Management of fecal impaction. In: Fowler GC, ed. Pfenninger and Fowler’s Procedures for Primary Care,4th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 208. Updated by: Michael M. Phillips, MD, Emeritus Professor of Medicine, The George Washington University School of Medicine, Washington, DC.
Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
What kind of pain can constipation cause?
Your stools may appear dry, hard and lumpy, as well as abnormally large or small. Other symptoms of constipation can include: stomach ache and cramps. feeling bloated.