Back pain and irritable bowel syndrome: how they’re linked

What is IBS?

IBS does not typically affect the back. It reacts in the gut where the malabsorption of food causes symptoms like gas, bloating, diarrhea, constipation and abdominal pain. Because everybody has unique tolerances for different foods, it is difficult to predict the specific symptoms a person will feel day to day, and their severity.

How can IBS be treated?

There are several avenues to treat IBS. The trick is to pay attention to the signals the body sends as you trial a range of strategies designed to bring your gut back to health.

Stress versus relaxation

The more stress you experience, including the “busy” stress we often consider normal, the more likely IBS symptoms will intensify causing increased pain and discomfort. If the pain is sustained over a period of days, it may be worth looking at lifestyle factors that could be impacting how your body processes food. While we are unable to remove all stress from our lives, we can set aside time each day to slow down.

Relaxation is about bringing the mind and body into alignment. It can be found through acupuncture, massage or cognitive behavioural therapy. Meditation has also been proved to assist managing back pain and it is highly recommended for helping release tension from mind and body.

Diet

An elimination diet is the best way to figure out which foods your body can and can’t process well. The Monash University FODMAP diet is good place to start. The research behind it addresses the sugars that can’t be broken down by the body, so instead, ferment in the gut causing IBS symptoms. For the first 6 weeks you only eat foods low in FODMAP sugars: fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols. Then, over weeks 6 to 12 you carefully reintroduce the sugars into your diet and observe how your body reacts. This way you can discover which groups of sugars you can tolerate, and in what amount.

To discover which foods trigger IBS symptoms, it is recommended that you work with a qualified dietician or nutritionist because food intolerances can point to underlying, serious conditions. For example, aversion to breads may actually be due to coeliac or crohn’s disease rather than gluten intolerance, which will not lead to medical complications.

Hormones

Because women are more likely to experience IBS, fluctuating hormones can exacerbate IBS symptoms. It is also common for menstrual pain to be experienced in the lower back. A GP can prescribe contraceptives to regulate hormones, which in some cases may be able to reduce symptoms associated with IBS and back pain.

Medication and over the counter drugs

Over the counter and prescription drugs can impact digestion. Antibiotics interfere with the body’s gut flora, killing off the bacteria that helps you digest food. In fact, the list of drugs known to interfere with IBS is significant including common antidepressants, painkillers, heartburn and cholesterol medications. Discuss the side effects of the drugs you are taking with your doctor or pharmacist to ensure your IBS and back pain symptoms are being taken into consideration.

Diseases

Getting ill often aggravates IBS symptoms, especially with occurrences of abdominal pain and diarrhea. The infecting virus or bacteria can cause inflammation and alter the state of the gut flora. Once again, it is recommended that you address the illness with doctor and monitor how your body processes food on recovery.

Why are IBS and back pain linked?

We are used to thinking about these two medical conditions as separate because back pain relates to the back muscles and the spine, whereas IBS centres on the digestive system. However, what we may be witnessing is evidence showing how interrelated all areas of the body truly are. Alternatively, back pain may be referred pain from the gut or IBS symptoms affecting the large intestines could be putting pressure on lower back.

What is clear is that thorough research needs to be undertaken so we can provide people with effective treatments for both IBS and back pain in the future.