Chiro Clinic ~ Why Your Back Hurts in the Morning and How to Prevent It

If you are hurting in the morning maybe these tips will help!


We spend a third of our life in bed and lying down for that length of time can be stressful on our low back. Many people experience low back pain first thing in the morning, which can sometimes last through the entire day and can lead to chronic problems. Back pain can be caused by our sleep posture, mattress or underlying muscular and joint dysfunction.
There are several ways to reduce the risk of waking up with back pain. A major factor in proper lumbar support is sleep posture. Sleeping on your back is ideal, while falling asleep on your side is also acceptable. Sleeping on your stomach, however, keeps the lumbar spine in extension, stressing the facet joints and stretching ligaments while you sleep and is to be avoided if at all possible. Holding your lumbar spine in extension for a small amount of time is acceptable, but eight straight hours of extension can be hard on joints and ligaments. A good way to visualize this is with your finger. If you bend your finger back and hold it for a few seconds, it does not hurt; bend that same finger back for a few hours and pain is almost inevitable. Sleeping on your back keeps the lumbar spine supported and in a neutral position. Having your knees bent, either side-lying or while on your back, can also help keep a neutral spine.
A medium-firm mattress is now recommended by most studies. Firm mattresses had been recommended for many years, but their rigidity can sometimes lead to excessive extension of the low back. A mattress with some give allows the hips to sink into the bed and reduces the pressure on the low back. Look for a mattress with a 7-8/10 grade in terms of firmness. Old mattresses also need to be replaced. Studies suggest replacing your mattress after 5-9 years, depending on the quality of mattress. A simple visual inspection of the mattress can sometimes be enough to determine whether it needs to be replaced. If the bed has any areas that sag or dip, or if the mattress collapses when you sit on the edge, it has likely aged to the point where it will not give you proper support while you sleep.
If your low back does hurt in the morning, it is important to stretch before getting up. As we sleep, blood is shunted from our low back to our vital organs, which causes muscles to stiffen overnight. In addition, our discs absorb water while we sleep, which is why we are (on average) about 1cm taller in the morning. This added height puts pressure on the ligaments that surround and support our spines. Gentle stretching while lying in bed restores proper blood flow to the low back, lubricates joints and stretches strained muscles and ligaments. Bringing your knees to your chest one side at a time for a few slow repetitions, holding each time for 5-10 seconds, is a good, safe stretch to warm up the low back before getting up.
With all of this advice, it is important to remember that we are all slightly different when it comes to sleep comfort. Whereas a medium-firm mattress might be right for the majority of people, if a firm mattress has kept your low back pain free, stick with the firm mattress. Stiff muscles and restricted joints in the low back can also cause undue stress on the low back while sleeping. This is due to the functional areas 'compensating' for the dysfunction, which is why some people are more prone to getting low back pain in general. Strengthening your core and getting dysfunctional muscles and spinal segments treated to keep them functioning properly is also vital to having a healthy back and enjoying a restful, pain free sleep.

Dr. Mike Belding

Dr. Greg Morris, Dr. Natalie Carrington and Dr. Mike Belding can all be contacted at the Diamond Valley Chiropractic Clinic, 403-933-3088.