Things To Avoid When Experiencing Back Pain
In the early stages of an episode of back pain things will feel very fragile and unstable. Rest assured that your spine can do more than it seems. If you avoid a few key things it will help to ensure that the activity you are taking on is not making your pain worse.
- Do not stay in bed! Being idle in bed is a sure-fire way to make your back pain last longer and be more intense. So even if it is painful try to get up and get moving.
- Do not lift heavy objects. Give your spine a break from heavy loads. When you need to lift smaller objects, keep them close to your body and lift with your spine straight and both feet firmly planted shoulder width apart on the floor.
- Avoid sitting for longer than 20 min. at a time and choose firm chairs with good support.
The Most Common Causes Of Lower Back Pain Are A Strain Or Sprain
Whether you notice it or not, your lumbar spine gets put to work throughout the entire day.
Amid all of this work and motion, a lower back sprain or strain can result from an acute injury, such as one experienced while falling, lifting something too heavy or playing sports. A sprain or strain can also develop over time due to repetitive movements or poor posture.
Straining a muscle or spraining a ligament are the most common causes of lower back pain, says Dr. Palmer. While they can be serious, these common causes of lower back pain arent long-lasting taking anywhere from a few days to heal or, at most, a few months.
Your doctor can help you determine the particular course of self-care that can help heal your lower back pain.
The treatment for a pulled back muscle or strained back ligament is fairly simple and can include pain and anti-inflammatory medications, muscle relaxers, ice to help reduce inflammation, heat to promote healing, and avoiding strenuous activity until the pain recedes, explains Dr. Palmer. The best course of care will depend on the severity of your injury as well as your overall core and lower body strength.
If your lower back pain persists despite treatment, it may be time to consider other causes of lower back pain.
How Should I Sleep With Lower Back Pain
Poor sleep can impact every aspect of daily life. Waking from a fitful night of sleep can lead to grogginess and grouchiness during the day, which can lead to more chronic pain and a lack of sleep at night.
Its a vicious cycle, but there are a few steps to take, including evaluating your sleeping position and cleaning up your sleep routine.
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Back Pain At Night And Ankylosing Spondylitis
There are two main categories of back pain: mechanical and inflammatory. Mechanical back pain results from problems with the way the different components of your spine work together. Mechanical back pain, such as from overuse injuries, poor posture, or a herniated disc, is the reason for the vast, vast majority of back pain cases.
On the other hand, inflammatory back pain occurs because theres a problem with your immune system attacking the joints in your spine, sacroiliac joints , and the entheses .
Back pain that wakes you up in the second half of the night is one of a few key signs that your back pain could be inflammatory and due to a disease like ankylosing spondylitis.
Patients often experience stiffness and pain that awakens them in the early morning, a distinctive symptom not generally found in patients with mechanical back pain, reports Medscape.
Its not common to have back pain so bad in the middle of the night that you cant go back to sleep, says Fardina Malik, MD, a rheumatologist at NYU Langone in New York City who frequently treats patients with ankylosing spondylitis.
Mechanical back pain generally feels better when you rest or sleep. You might have discomfort, but you should be able to sleep through the night.
What Else Can I Do For Back Pain
Gently moving and strengthening the back will help to prevent it from seizing up and becoming more prone to injury. Devils Claw is an anti-inflammatory herb that helps to maintain the health of muscles and joints and it can be used to help ease pain and discomfort caused by back pain. If your back pain becomes unmanageable, make an appointment with your doctor.
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Why Your Mattress Is Important For Back Pain
You may have the wrong mattress if you are experiencing back pain every morning. Your bed may not be the problem, but a good mattress can alleviate back pain.
Your spine will be aligned if you have a good mattress thats well-suited to your needs. This alignment can help to relieve aches and discomforts. For those with lower back pain, a mattress should not put pressure on the sacrum and shoulders. The right mattresses are firm enough to ensure your shoulders dont sink but soft enough for you to feel comfortable. On the mattress firmness scale, aim for a rating of 5-7 .
Woke Up With Back Pain Here’s What Your Body Is Trying To Tell You
You want to wake up feeling refreshed and ready to tackle the day, but instead you roll out of bed with an achey spine. So, what exactly are the causes of back pain after sleeping?
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Having backaches after you rise and shine suggests that a number of factors could be at play â often problems that irritate the various tissues of your back, says Richmond, Virginia-based David Drake, MD, medical director of the Interventional Pain Clinic at the Hunter Holmes McGuire Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
“When you look at back pain, there are different layers: The outer layer the fascia, which is a covering over the muscle with a lot of nerves in it. The next layer is the muscle, and the layer after that is where the bones are located â that would be the facet joints,” he says. “If you go down deeper than that, then we’re talking about the nerves and the discs.”
To help you get to the bottom of your pain, here are the reasons why you may get sore back muscles after sleeping, plus what to do to get a more comfortable snooze and alleviate back pain.
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If your back pain is affecting you during and after sleep, talk to your doctor to correctly determine the cause, Dr. Drake says.
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Choosing The Right Mattress For Your Back Pain
Your mattress could be the problem if your poor sleeping habits are not the root cause of your back pain. You can improve your sleep by switching to a new mattress.
In a 2009 study by the National Institute of Health, sound switching to newer mattresses after nine years can improve your sleep quality, decrease back discomfort and reduce stress. Ask for professional advice before you make a decision about your next mattress.
The right mattress can help align your spine and alleviate pressure points. This can reduce or eliminate back pain. It is important that you choose a mattress that provides the right amount of firmness, comfort, and support. These are some things to consider when shopping for a mattress that will relieve back pain:
Do You Have Lower Back Pain In The Morning
After a long nights sleep, you should wake up in the morning feeling refreshed and energized for a new day. But people suffering from chronic pain sometimes find that the morning is difficult because they wake up with intense pain to start the day.
Morning back pain can be frustrating, especially when you have a big day ahead of you. Its important to address this issue so you can climb out of bed to get the kids breakfast and get yourself ready for a good workday.
If you are experiencing chronic back pain in the morning, then it might be time to talk to a specialist about your concerns.
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Stretch When You Wake Up
Morning back pain can often be relieved by stretching right before you get out of bed. While youre lying on your back, reach your arms over your head and reach your feet in the opposite direction. Hold this position for as long as you comfortably can, then bring your knees to your chest. Stretching your lower back in this way can relieve any compression that occurred during the night.
Once you sit up, plant your feet firmly on the ground, shoulder-width apart. Reach your arms over your head and then sway from side to side. These stretches are some of the basic movements in the McKenzie Method for musculoskeletal care emphasizing patient empowerment and self-treatment.
Exercise May Worsen It
Incorrectly performed exercise or exercises that are not designed specifically to target and treat your lower back increase your chances of you hurting again. Following a specific program of exercise is important. It should be performed at a careful and controlled pace. One that you can control yourself.
Since you are the best judge at monitoring your own level of comfort, it is recommended that you follow a plan which accommodates for this.
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Reasons Why You Might Be Waking Up With Lower Back Pain
Waking up in the morning with pain in your lower back doesnt set you up well for the day ahead. You might assume that your mattress is to blame, or you simply slept funny thanks to your partners elbow in your side. But did you know that lower back pain when you wake up might actually be down to your kidneys?
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Side Sleepers Need Taller Pillows
Pillow choice can also make a big difference for side sleepers with low back pain. “Side sleepers will typically need a taller pillow to help maintain a neutral spine position in the neck and upper back,” says Dr. Griffin.
If you’re a side sleeper having trouble with low back pain, you might also feel more comfortable positioning a small pillow between your knees to help even out your pelvis.
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The 6 Big Causes Of Morning Back Pain
Pain In The Middle Back Due To Turning Forces
The middle back is also the inflection point of the lower back to the upper back. Because the middle back experiences many twisting movements, considerable bending and twisting forces are exerted on the vertebrae of the middle back. Therefore, it is important that this area can relax and recuperate properly during the night.
Due to this extra load, the middle back must also be extra supported by good muscles. The most important muscles that ensure stability and force in the back are the m. erectorspinae and the m. multifidus. The intervertebral muscles are also contributing to this. Even more than absolute force, stabilisation exercises and the increase of endurance in these muscles are important to address pain in this region. You can ensure this by doing sport, adopting a good posture and using the correct movements and techniques during lifting and twisting.
Moreover, a good bed with an adjusted mattress and a good pillow are important for the recovery of this muscle and for the back in general. Many people with back problems do not realise that this is caused by an incorrect posture during sleep. The back must be nicely in line and especially straight, also if you are sleeping on your side.
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Morning Back Pain Causes & Treatment
How SpineOne diagnoses and treats morning back pain depends on a lot of factors, including a patients history and the exact source of their pain. Sometimes simple posture changes can help while some patients will benefit from physical therapy. In some cases, pain management therapies can relieve acute pain long enough for long-term lifestyle changes that promote a healthy spine.
Why Does My Back Hurt More In The Morning
There are many reasons why some people might experience back pain when they wake up in the morning. Morning back pain is often attributed to the morning being the most vulnerable time for your spine.
This vulnerability can be due to what you do before bed or how you sleep, but your back pain might also be a sign of an underlying issue with your nervous system.
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Tips To Help Get Through An Episode Of Back Pain
Here are a few things you can do to help move through your back pain more quickly and comfortably.
- Gentle movement I know I already said it, but it bears repeating. The more you remain active with low impact movement the better your back pain will be and the shorter this episode of pain will be.
- Use your arms! When you have to lean over a counter place your hand on the counter as another point of stability. This will help to reduce the strain on your back.
- Use lumbar support when sitting. When sitting you will find that if your spine is maintained in the same position that it is when you are comfortably standing, you will not stiffen up nearly as much.
- Heat for pain relief. You can apply some mild heat to your back a few times a day to help alleviate some of your pain. Apply heat for 10-15 minutes and allow your skin to return to its normal temperature before reapplying.
Other Causes Of Neck Pain When You Wake Up
There are certainly other causes that can also contribute to you waking up with neck pain. In some cases, you may develop a sore neck during the day, too. Some common causes of neck pain include:
- poor posture during the day
- working too long at a computer, or watching television for too long without changing positions
- osteoarthritis in one of the upper spinal joints
- nerve compression caused by a herniated disk or bone spur in your neck
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What To Do If Youre Waking Up With Back Pain
Back pain is a common complaint for adults. About 80 percent of adults will experience lower back pain at some point in their life. More than a quarter of adults report experiencing low back pain within the last three months. Low back pain is the most common cause of job-related disability and a major contributor to missed workdays.
If youre waking up with back pain, chances are youre not getting the restorative sleep you need at night. Common causes of back pain include getting into an accident and lifting something heavy. Sometimes back pain can develop over time with age. A sedentary lifestyle can lead to low back pain, especially if you have a burst of activity your body isnt prepared for.
Most low back pain is short-term, lasting just a few days to a few weeks. Often, it resolves on its own or with a treatment of the underlying cause. However, chronic back pain persists for 12 weeks or longer. Sometimes, a medical or surgical procedure can relieve the pain, but sometimes, pain persists despite treatment.
Connecting Inflammaging To The Curse Of Morning Back Pain
This is an interesting topic, but does it have anything to do with morning pain or back pain specifically?
The morning connection isnt much of a reach: for whatever reason, inflammatory diseases are notoriously morning-o-centric , and so its reasonable to assume that less serious inflammation has a thing for the morning too. We also know only just recently that the body can suppress inflammation at night, pumping out an anti-inflammatory protein on a schedule, which probably accounts for some morning pain and stiffness as the suppression wears off. No one knows anything about how to actually control that effect, but at least we know it exists.
The back connection is trickier. Being overweight is less of a risk factor for back pain than most people think, so theres no obvious association with metabolic syndrome. If there is a connection, it might be that the spinal joints are among the first structures to be affected by inflammation and not necessarily because they are more fragile or harder working than, say, knees, but perhaps because the brain is quite over-protective about the back, and more likely to raise the alarm sooner. Also, we do know that metabolic syndrome is associated with at least some common pain problems, like neck pain.
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