Prakruti Physiotherapy

How to prevent back pain while waking up

We spend approximately one-third of each day sleeping, as it is an essential part of life. If we’re going to spend a third of the day sleeping, it should be a time to relax painlessly and prepare for a new day.

Sadly, sleeping can be an uncomfortable situation for some people, and it can be a cause of back and neck pain. Morning back pain can range from mild discomfort to excruciating agony. Mild back pain is usually the result of stiffness from extended periods of rest or decreased blood flow from sleeping. After moving around, the symptoms can typically subside. While this common morning condition is relatively common, some people experience it more than others.

Improve Your Sleeping Positions

Poor sleeping positions can strain your spine, cause back tension, and place uncomfortable pressure on your joints. Make sure you’re sleeping in a position that is conducive to maintaining the natural curves of your spine. Those that frequently sleep on their stomachs may experience back pain more regularly.

Consider changing up the positions you sleep in for better sleep and spine health. Sleep on your side or back with a pillow beneath your knees. If sleeping on your stomach is how you prefer to sleep each night, place a pillow under your pelvis or lower abdomen to take the pressure off of your back.

Invest in a New Mattress

You might not know this but your bed i.e the mattress plays an important role in your morning back pain. You must use a medium-firm mattress to avoid your back pain or to decrease it. Your spine might fall out of alignment if your bed is too soft and if it is too hard it might put pressure on your hips causing your lower body to pain.

Your back pain also depends on how old your mattress is. Research indicates that you should purchase a new mattress every 10 years if you want to ensure your mattress isn’t the cause of your back pain.

Upgrade Your Pillow

Sometimes it does get difficult to find a pillow that supports your neck properly. It’s difficult to find a pillow that properly supports your neck. Most of the feather pillows available in the market do not provide adequate support to your neck. This might certainly cause your back to pain even if you are sleeping in the required back and side position.

Consider investing in an orthopedic pillow, memory foam pillow, or a full body pillow that will provide additional support by molding itself to the contours of your body. These pillows are specifically designed to support the natural curves of your neck while you sleep and place your neck in its desired, natural position. 

The Correct Way To Get Out Of Bed:

Never thought that getting out of bed correctly is also a factor that helps in reducing the morning back pain. The majority of people have the habit of sitting up, twisting their back to get into a standing position and use their back to stand when they’re first waking up. It seems to be normal because we neglect these things but this method of getting up from bed is incorrect. This method may only increase your morning back pain symptoms and prolong your discomfort. 

The proper way to exit a bed is to roll onto your side and push up from the side-lying position. Scoot to the edge of the bed and stand up using your legs, not your back.

 

Sleeping shouldn’t be painful. It should be a time to relax. Implementing these above-mentioned suggestions is a great way to decrease pain while you sleep and increase your odds of having a great night’s rest. If the pain still persists it is recommended to see a Physiotherapist who can suggest better treatment for this.