Low Back Pain When Sleeping

Many people have to deal with back, neck and shoulder pain. This can be brought back to our way of living and working. According to Leen Vervaet - physiotherapist and ergonomist of the ambulatory rehabilitation for back and neck complaints at the UZ Leuven - our back just does not stop too much, too long and/or too heavy. Standing in the same position for too long or sitting and even lying down, often doing the same movement ... It causes a load on the back structures that can lead to stability loss in the long term. Let this be the reason why many people get hurt.

But what about back pain when sleeping?

Vary, dose and move
A good night starts with sufficient variation during the day. Change posture during the day, switch to activities and interrupt long-term postures by moving on time. A modified mattress may be an important link for a pain-free night, also what you do during the day determines the quality of your night.

Reduce low back pain thanks to proper body support at night
A physiotherapist regularly give sleep advice to people with back and neck complaints. Because let it be known: not sleeping well does not promote the recovery of back pain.

Only a few people are supported in the right way. On the basis of photos that patients provide me with about their current sleeping position and bed system, my advice is almost always that the shoulders have to collapse more, the pelvis slightly less, and that the loins may be slightly more supported. Because the shoulders sink too little into the mattress and the pelvis just a little too much, our body comes to lie in a kind of hammock. Head, neck, and spine should ideally be positioned on one horizontal line as much as possible.

Some have enough simple kitchen and garden resources such as a towel under the loins and/or pelvis, others are served with a new bed system. The new system must then have a softer shoulder zone, a sturdy pelvic zone, and an adapted lumbar zone. This is especially important for side sleepers with back or neck pain.

But one of his shoulders is not that of the other. My advice? Look for a system that is specifically tailored to your body and takes into account the weight and width of the different parts of the body.

An adjusted pillow is also important. Make sure that your pillow fills the cavity between the mattress and the neck. In this way, your pillow provides optimal support for your head and neck vertebrae so that your muscles relax and rehydrate intervertebral discs. The choice of the pillow also depends on your sleeping position, your mattress and your physique.

Sideways
In sideways, your vertebrae should ideally form a straight, horizontal line, which might make this sleeping posture the most natural and best sleeping posture. In a sleeping position such as the side-lying, where the side profile of the body is the most pronounced, a well-adapted mattress is extremely important.

Back sleeper
Back sleeper provides a larger contact area and therefore less pressure on the body during sleep. This sleeping posture is also the most stable, which means that you turn less often in strange positions at night. Note that this sleeping posture causes snoring and sleep apnea and therefore less ideal for those who suffer from this.

Stomach sleeper
The most stressful sleeping position is undoubtedly the prone position. Tummy sleep makes it impossible for your spine to maintain a neutral position and in addition, the neck vertebrae are continuously rotated in this position.

Buying a mattress for back problems? Confusion trumps!
For most people, it is not easy to choose a bed system or mattress. Not only the prices differ, but the vision of what exactly is a good bed system is different from seller to seller. And that is unfortunate, because most people are willing to invest in a good mattress, but do not see the trees through the forest anymore. I have even had patients who have lost the north in such a way that they only sleep on the ground.

Do not hesitate to get advice from someone with expertise, such as your doctor or physiotherapist. They can give independent advice from their expertise on the spine, rather than from commercial interests.

Do some exercises daily to prevent back pain
If you have ever had back pain, you will undoubtedly know that exercises help keep the back "healthy" and strengthen against overload.

You can distinguish 3 different back exercises from each other, namely:

• Mobilizing exercises - these keep the joints supple
• Stabilization exercises - these promote the stability of your spine
• Muscle strengthening exercises - these strengthen both the back muscles and muscles around the back

Ideally, you build from stabilization exercises to a properly functioning back before you start muscle-strengthening exercises. Exercises such as the cat's back or the bridge are for example good and safe exercises to prevent an overloaded back.