Lower back pain during your period: does a heating pad help?

Why your back hurts on your period

During your period the uterus tightens to shed its lining. Those cramps are not only felt at the front. The nerves around the pelvis also serve the lower back, so many people feel the ache across the small of the back and sometimes down into the hips and thighs.

For some people the back pain is worse than the belly cramps, which is one reason a small pad on the front alone often falls short.

Conditions like endometriosis and adenomyosis can make back pain during a period much worse. More on that below.

Does heat help period back pain?

For many people, yes. Warmth helps tight muscles relax, and a lot of people reach for heat first when their back aches during a period.

The catch is coverage. If you put a pad on your back, your belly goes without, and the other way round. One customer put it this way: "Usually I have to decide whether my uterus or my back gets relief with a heating pad but now I don't have to choose." Aly M.

How to use heat on your back

1. Aim low. Place the heat across the small of your back, just above your tailbone, where period back pain usually sits.
2. Cover the front too. Most period back pain comes with belly cramps. Heat on both places at once covers more of the pain.
3. Start on a low setting. Turn it up slowly. Wait a few minutes before deciding you need more.
4. Keep it in place. Leaning back against a loose pad on the sofa works for a while, but it slips as soon as you move. A pad that straps on stays where you put it.
5. Take breaks. Follow the maker's instructions for how long to use it, and check your skin between sessions.

Other things that can help

• Gentle movement. A short walk or a few easy stretches, such as drawing your knees to your chest while lying on your back, can loosen a tight lower back.
• Rest in a supported position. Lying on your side with a pillow between your knees takes strain off the lower back.
• Pain relief. Your doctor or pharmacist can tell you which over the counter pain relief suits you and when to take it.

The Riley by REB Relief

I built the Riley after years of being tied to a wall outlet with a pad that kept slipping. We make it, so weigh our view with that in mind and read the reviews. It is a corded wearable heating pad that straps on and warms your lower belly, lower back and hips at once, so you don't have to pick between your back and your front. It plugs into a US wall outlet, warms up in 3 seconds, has 10 heat settings and runs sessions of up to 2 hours.

• $119, and FSA and HSA eligible
• Rated 4.7 from 227 reviews
• 90 day guarantee, so you can try it through three full cycles
• Ships from our US warehouse

See the Riley

Using heat safely

• Start low and build up slowly.
• Keep heat off broken or irritated skin.
• Never sleep with an electric pad switched on. Unplug it when you finish.
• Don't use heat on a part of your body that feels numb.
• Ask your doctor first if you are pregnant, have diabetes or reduced feeling in your skin, or have an implanted medical device.

When back pain needs a doctor

Some lower back ache during a period is common. See your doctor if your back pain:

• stops you working, sleeping or doing normal things
• lasts beyond your period or happens at other times of the month
• comes with heavy bleeding, pain during sex, or pain when you go to the bathroom
• is getting worse over time

These can be signs of endometriosis, adenomyosis or fibroids, which are worth checking. Our guide on heating pads for endometriosis pain covers heat during a flare.

Back pain with numbness or weakness in your legs, trouble controlling your bladder or bowels, or a fever needs urgent medical care.