A sore back is one of the defining traits of growing older, and that’s likely in part to the back being so structurally complex. We’ve seen the caricatures: saggy old men with canes and walkers, hunchbacked grandmas in floral gowns, the disgruntled, raspy calls of “oh, my aching back!” We’ve seen it, we’ve heard it, and we’ve largely come to expect it as we age. However, there is a twist in the plot—as well as your spine—that isn’t quite so expected: you don’t have to be awake in order for your back to hurt.
That’s right; you can wake up after a long, restful night with back pain. But why? Why does it happen, and, more importantly, is there an easy way to achieve back pain relief?
What Causes the Pain?
Something to keep in mind when addressing back pain at any point is that humans are complex machines. Like when your car starts making a squealing noise, a trip to the mechanic could reveal any number of issues, ranging from minor inconveniences to an emergency bout of car shopping. That being said, your nocturnal back pain could have any number of causes or possibly a combination of causes. However, there are a few common areas of concern.
Sleeping Posture
Yes, posture matters even while sleeping. When faced with consistent morning pain, your sleeping position should be considered the prime suspect. In fact, beyond just back pain, your sleeping posture could be a contributing factor in the severity of other health ailments such as sleep apnea and congestive heart failure. Sleeping on your stomach, also known as sleeping prone, is particularly noteworthy for causing back pain, and should be avoided.
Bad Mattress
It’s not just a marketing tactic. You really should be replacing your mattress every 8-10 years or so. This is because, over time, a mattress can lose its shape, collect pounds worth of your dead skin and body oils, and lose the ability to properly support your pressure points. Signs of wear and tear on your mattress will probably be subtle at first, and you may not even notice them until they’ve already done a number on your back. Things to watch out for include sagging, tears, holes, fraying, lumps and dips, shifting foam, springs that poke you as you lay down, and the ability to feel the foundation of the bed while laying down. If you have an older mattress, you may want to inspect it for these issues. In the same way that bad posture causes back pain by poorly distributing your weight, a bad mattress will cause back and neck pain or even shoulder pain by failing to properly support your body as you sleep.
No, this one isn’t one you can fix by adjusting your position or buying a new mattress. This one’s more than likely a side effect of getting old. Between the vertebrae in your spine are cushions of collagen and gel, which allow them to be more supported and not rub against each other bone-to-bone. As you age, however, the collagen will begin to break down, and eventually, it will cease to exist entirely. The back pain caused by this can vary depending largely on how degenerated the discs are, and you’re probably going to experience pain outside of bed, but you’re likely to experience more pain in the morning. This also applies to a herniated disc, which may present similar symptoms. The reason for this is that, ironically, periods of prolonged inactivity can exacerbate the pain caused by degenerated and herniated discs.
General Prevention and Treatment
Now that you know why you’re waking up with back pain, the next question would be if there’s anything you can do to prevent it. With a condition as broad as a sore back, the best treatment will vary from case to case. If you are ever unsure on how to start your journey towards back pain relief, you’re always welcome to contact our professionals at AICA Lithia Springs for assistance. In the meantime, there are a few things you can do at home to aid your aches.
For starters, try changing your sleeping position and using pillows around your limbs and back to support pressure points. Sleeping with a pillow between your legs can help align the spine and, if you insist on sleeping prone, a pillow under the pelvis or lower abdomen can help take pressure off of the spine. Changing your mattress as recommended is also a step you can take, not just for back health but for general hygiene. Plenty of mattress companies offer online questionnaires that will match you with a mattress based on your personal sleeping habits, so finding a comfortable mattress is much easier now, even during the pandemic.
Topical remedies such as lidocaine can also provide some relief from back pain, though you should always be wary of the possibility of irritating your skin. Finally, get a little exercise in when you can. Morning stretches will help alleviate the immediate soreness, but back strengthening exercises will also make the soreness less likely to happen in the first place, as the strengthened muscles will be able to better support your spine at rest. Good exercises to try in order to relieve morning soreness include planks, the mini-cobra, and knee bends.
Remember: if none of these methods work, or you just feel like you need a little help, don’t be afraid to seek professional help. We’re not here to judge; we just want to see you well-rested and pain-free.
Sources
- Enayati, Moein, et al. “Sleep Posture Classification Using Bed Sensor Data and Neural Networks.” 2018 40th Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (EMBC). IEEE, 2018.
- Maurer, Elke, et al. “Long-Term Effect of Physical Inactivity on Thoracic and Lumbar Disc Degeneration—An MRI-Based Analysis Of 385 Individuals from the General Population.” The Spine Journal 20.9 (2020): 1386-1396.
- Plomp, Kimberly A., et al. “The Ancestral Shape Hypothesis: An Evolutionary Explanation for The Occurrence of Intervertebral Disc Herniation in Humans.” BMC Evolutionary Biology 15.1 (2015): 1-10.