Back Pain Upon Waking Up, What You can Do About It

            Low back pain upon waking up is a common problem. There are only two things that can cause your low back to hurt more when you wake up than when you went to bed.

The two things that can cause this problem are:

1) Your mattress

2) The position you are sleeping in

or both.

            If your mattress is approaching ten years old then it is likely worn out and needs replaced. It does not matter how much you spent on the mattress, most coil spring mattresses are worn out in under ten years regardless of what the sales person told you. Once they are worn out they must be replaced or you will continue to hurt.

            Also if the mattress is too soft it can cause the same problem. While the mattress does not have to be rock hard, it does have to be on the firm side to support you properly. If you suspect the mattress then chances are it is time to replace it.

            Before you do, you need to be sure that you are not getting in a bad sleeping posture. There are some common things people do that put the tissues under increased stress. If you sleep on your side or back both of these positions are good when done properly.

            If you sleep on your side there is one common thing that causes a problem. When you take your top leg an move it forward of the bottom leg. Then the top leg must fall. This puts a twist in your low back and pelvis. Laying twisted for eight hours is what causes you to wake up hurting.

            To fix this problem, put a nice thick pillow in front of your bottom leg so that when you move the top leg forward it has something to rest on and does not drop down. This prevents the twist and you wake up feeling better. If the mattress is a problem you may still wake up hurting.

            If you lay flat on your back and you wake up hurting, you need to put a thick pillow under your knees. This takes the stress off the low back. For some people laying on their back with the legs straight puts too much stress on the tissues of the low back and pelvis. This fix works for most people unless the mattress is a problem.

            Never sleep on your stomach. Sleeping on your stomach will always lead to problems somewhere. If it is not in your low back then it will be in your neck or upper back. It is not a matter of will it occur, it is just a matter of when.

            To break this habit just put a large pillow in front of you and one in back of you or one on each side of you to prevent you from rolling either direction on to your stomach. This will help to break the habit of sleeping on your stomach.

            If you wake up hurting, follow the above guidelines for sleeping posture first. If you still hurt in the mornings then you likely need a new mattress. If you get a firm mattress and still hurt in the mornings then it is time to see a professional for care. The above corrections will often solve the problem when done properly, when they don’t you need professional help.