It may seem unlikely that constipation and lower back pain are connected, but back pain causes come in many forms, and surprisingly, constipation is one of them. Constipation is a fairly common condition in which you are unable to pass stools easily—or at all, in some cases. A lack of fiber in the diet and pregnancy are two causes of constipation. It is normal to experience constipation once in a while, and if it passes after a few days, there isn’t much to be concerned about. But if it’s a regular occurrence and you experience lower back pain as a result, you need to examine the problem more closely.
When you can’t remove fecal matter from the body, it’s normal to strain, sometimes excessively so, to try to eliminate the waste. It’s this straining that puts pressure on the back and on the discs of your spine that might already be loose; this is often called a slipped disc or herniated disc. Fecal impaction is an even worse condition than simple constipation, and it can also trigger lower back pain. A fecal impaction is when a fecal mass becomes dry and hard, is lodged in the rectum, and can’t come out with ease.
The longer a fecal impaction is allowed to carry on without some kind of intervention, the worse the pain will become, because the pressure in pressure on the lower back and abdomen isn’t being alleviated, and will continue to build over time.
Apart from lower back pain, constipation causes a number of other uncomfortable and sometimes painful symptoms. Apart from not being able to have a bowel movement, or movements that pass only small, pebble-like pieces, constipation can cause vomiting, nausea, and a swollen abdomen. When your constipation is causing lower back pain, it’s a good indication that fecal matter has impacted within the abdominal tract and needs to be removed as soon as possible.