Managing Night-time Back Pain

Although between 60 and 80 percent of people have back pain at some point in their lives, night-time back pain is a very special type of back pain. Have you ever tossed and turned all night because of your aching back? The next morning it feels like you got hit by a truck because you didn't sleep well. Some people experience it quite frequently, which constantly disrupts their sleep and leaves them feeling incapacitated during the daytime hours. This can affect work or school performance, which could lead to many serious problems such as difficulty in relationships or depression.

If you are experiencing night-time back pain, know that you are not alone. According to a 2005 study published in Spine journal, 44% of all people seen at one back clinic in the U.K. came in complaining of night-time back pain. Scale that to the world population, and that's a significant number of people not getting the rest that they need due to chronic back pain. Managing night-time back pain is difficult, but not impossible. Read on to discover new insight and possible treatments for managing your night-time back pain through Backsmart Health.

Night-time Back Pain

For some people the pain in their back subsides why they lie down and relieve the pressure off the back, but for those that suffer from night-time back pain, sometimes the pain gets worse or doesn't start until they lie down. The individual will be just fine meeting the expectations of the daytime hours, but the minute they get into bed for that all-so-elusive sleep, back pain strikes again. Of those 44% in the fore-mentioned U.K. study, 42% said they experienced the pain every night, and some even woke up because of the pain up to six times a night. Typically the night-time back pain sufferers did not sleep more than five continuous hours each night. For some people, managing the night-time back pain symptoms are even more difficult because they don't get adequate rest to cope with the pain.

What Causes Night-time Back Pain?

One suspected cause of night-time back pain is disc degeneration. The tissue between the vertebrae eventually starts to break down, and the vertebrae move closer and impinge nerves. The spine no longer has the same movement capability that is once did, so sleeping in certain positions can be uncomfortable. Since you are at a low activity point when you're sleeping, some have hypothesized that the dynamic activity in the day causes a lack of conscious awareness of the pain, and it becomes more in the forefront of the mind as you prepare for sleep. Hormonal changes can also cause night-time back pain, especially for those who are pregnant or who have endometriosis. More serious conditions that can cause night-time back pain are spinal tumors and spinal infections.

Managing Night-time Back Pain

1) Try a body pillow - Dr. Malton Schexneider recommends using a body pillow to help keep pressure off the back at night. We tend to put a lot of pressure on our back when we toss and turn, and the body pillow may help prevent excessive tossing and turning.

2) Try out your mattress before buying it - some store allow you to "try before you buy". Take advantage of this opportunity, and try the mattress for 30 to 45 days to make sure that you can sleep with minimal pain.

3) Try heat - sometimes putting some heat on your back before bed can help control the pain. Do not fall asleep on the heat source; however, or you'll risk burning yourself.

4) Try physiotherapy - Massage, physiotherapy or other conservative treatments provided by chiropractic clinics can help with managing night-time back pain.

You do not have to be a slave to night-time back pain any longer. Contact Backsmart Health to determine what treatment is best for you.

Managing Night-time Back Pain