Dear Anne
I have had chronic back pain for over a year and have been recently diagnosed with fibromyalgia (much to my disagreement). However I have noticed that my back pain seems to increase prior to and at the start of my period. My periods are extremely painful, heavy and clotted. My GP does not seemed very concerned but I am. What shall I do? Col
Dear Col
Chronic pain is depressing, isn't it? It can limit activity, socialising and earning power and therefore confidence. It sounds possible that you're getting towards the menopause or perhaps have had your tubes tied but you'll know more about this than I do. Sometimes period pains are also felt in or below the small of the back, so it's possible that you have two separate sources of discomfort. When anyone feels a pain, it can tense up the muscles around that area so that can make it easier for other pains to increase too. So what could you do about this? It really depends on two factors: what exactly is happening to you, and how your body responds.
Let's start with your back. You could seek a referral to a pain management clinic through the NHS, and/or see a private physiotherapist or sports injury therapist (even if your injury wasn't caused by sport). I wouldn't recommend a sports massage as such, though. You could investigate the possibilities of a TENS (Transcutaneous Electronic Nerve Stimulation) machine for pain relief. Boots sell these for around �50. Acupuncture could help too. You could try gentle forms of Pilates, Alexander technique or Yoga, making sure you say something of your ongoing symptoms so you will be offered an appropriate level of exercise.
For your periods, you might try a Well Woman clinic or ask your doctor to refer you to a gynaecologist. For some conditions a scrape (Dilation and Curettage) is a quick cure for heavy, painful periods you describe but you'd need a diagnosis by a qualified doctor. If it is related to the onset of menopause, you could discuss HRT with your GP or the Well Woman clinic and you may benefit from vitamin and mineral supplements designed to help with the menopause as well as perhaps researching healthy eating for this time of life.
However, it could indeed be that you're suffering from fibromyalgia. With this condition pains can become more severe around the time of your period. Medication can help manage the symptoms. Fibromyalgia isn't really understood. The name just means pains in the fibrous tissues such as muscles, tendons and ligaments. Its severity is variable and some sufferers find relief through alternative therapies. It's helpful to observe what activities provoke symptoms and pace yourself. Food with a low sugar content may help keep pain-levels down.
You may find the information at www.ukfibromyalgia.com useful. Keeping a diary of physical symptoms, activities and mood may be useful in convincing your doctor to refer you for further tests. Do tell the doctor whether or not you experience any sleep disorders as this may affect diagnosis. Likewise whether you experience pains anywhere else, or patterns of fatigue.
Whatever it turns out to be, it's worth persisting in telling the doctor what's going on for you and in asking to be referred on. I wish you good health and optimism.
