Your back is aching, your legs are almost numb. You’re bedridden for the day, seeing as walking and other upright movements only seem to increase your pain, making it much more difficult to do anything other than lay still.
Does this sound familiar?
If so, you may actually be living with uterine fibroids. While not many women realize fibroids can cause resounding pain and symptoms in areas other than the pelvis, the reality is that they, unfortunately, absolutely can.
Here’s what you need to know:
Bending Over Backward For Back Pain
While back pain is not necessarily a rare phenomenon for women as a result of their menstrual cycles, uterine fibroids are liable to exacerbate that pain, if not outright cause it for women who have not previously experienced back pain on a regular basis.
In fact, reports reveal cases wherein women suffering from severe back pain were suspected to have lumbar radiculopathy — which is sciatic nerve from the lower back to the buttocks and leg, more commonly known as Sciatica. However, upon pursuing further diagnostic processes, the cause of their pain was found to be uterine fibroids.
Specifically, a uterine fibroid may cause a woman chronic back pain if it is positioned on the back of the uterus and/or grows to be pressing up against a nerve, artery, or vein located on or near the spinal column.
Leaning Into Leg Pain
One might not think to associate leg pain with a uterine-related condition, but the role the nervous and circulatory systems play in the grand scheme of a woman’s body renders it possible.
Specifically, should a fibroid grow large enough that it begins to impede the blood circulation to a woman’s lower extremities, it may cause isolated leg pain despite being located in a woman’s pelvic region.
Otherwise, similarly to back pain, a fibroid that makes contact with a nerve may cause leg pain in either of a woman’s lower extremities. Previous cases detail that some women who have been subjected to pressure on their sciatic nerve, specifically, as a result of uterine fibroids may experience leg pain in addition to leg and/or foot numbness and tingling.
Solutions Without Surgery
If a woman experiences leg and/or back pain as a result of uterine fibroid growth, the pain may be temporarily reduced with the aid of medicine, albeit it will not be eliminated until she is treated for the fibroids themselves.
In many historical cases, women have found fibroid relief once they underwent a hysterectomy. However, uterine fibroid embolization (UFE) offers a non-surgical, minimally-invasive alternative that is also capable of providing long-term relief!
If you’re ready to find lasting comfort from the frequent pains of uterine fibroids, it’s time to contact Duval Vascular & Fibroid Center! Not only are we dedicated to providing women with in-depth education regarding fibroids, but we also offer UFE in a comfortable, state-of-the-art outpatient setting.
Learn more today by calling Duval Vascular & Fibroid Center at (904) 423-6017!
