What Causes Lower Back Pain After A Hysterectomy?

Posted on Fri, 20 Jun 2014

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Fri, 20 Jun 2014 Answered on

Fri, 11 Jul 2014 Last reviewed on

Question : Hi. I recently had a hysterectomy about three weeks ago and i have been experiencing lower back pain on my left side. Could this pain be from nerve damage during my surgery? The pain radiates when I'm walking and the only way to relieve the pain is to lay down on my back. Im not overweight. I weigh in a 118. What can u suggest to me for pain relief and what steps can i take to correct this lower back pain? I don't want to fall on pain killers or meds. Please help.

Answered by Dr. Shanti Vennam (29 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Answered below.

Detailed Answer:
Hi,

Thanks for posting your query.

The possibilities in your condition are-
---possibility of pressure on the lumbo-sacral spine with pressure effects on the nerve-endings; your symptoms and the relief brought by rest are suggestive.
--nerve damage during surgery is a possibility with an abdominal surgery while it is a rare feature in the vaginal route.
-if you happened to have a vaginal procedure, the position adopted during the procedure, i.e., the lithotomy position can sometimes lead to such back pains. This will subside in course of time.

In the current scenario, you need to see your consultant and also take an opinion from an orthopedic surgeon to locate the exact cause. Simple postural remedies and exercises usually help. Stress on the spine should be relieved while weight lifting should be avoided for some time until you get relief.

Hope your query has been answered. Please feel free to contact for further clarifications. I will be happy to help.

regards,
Shanti.V.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar