3 Reasons You’re Waking up With Back Pain

I get a lot of questions from my clients regarding why they are experiencing the pain they do.  One of the most frequently asked questions is, “Why do I wake up with back pain?”  It’s a great question.  You’re resting and literally not using any exertion while you sleep, so why on earth are you waking up with pain?

There are 3 reasons why this is happening.

1.      Sleep position.  If you are sleeping on your stomach, this most definitely is contributing to you having back pain.  Think about it.  Your mattress is a soft surface.  As you sleep gravity allows your body to sink further into the mattress.  When you’re on your stomach, the sinking point and most mobile area of your spine is your lower back.  All night long, your back is being pulled further and further into an extended position, putting a compressive force on your spine.  If you have scoliosis or spinal stenosis the twisting and compression amplifies.

2.      Arthritis:  It doesn’t matter how young or old you are reading this.  Our bodies start to show signs of arthritis by the young age of 25 years old!  Pain from arthritis gets worse with inactivity.  The less you move your body, the more aches and pains you will have from arthritis.  Now consider sleeping.  Unless you’re dancing in your sleep (which I’m sure your partner loves haha) you aren’t moving very much for 6-8 hours.  The inactivity causes your joints and muscles to stiffen, and when you get out of bed..”Ouch!”

3.     It may be time for a new mattress.  While soft mattresses may feel great for a brief period, a soft mattress is a killer for those with back problems.  The reason is similar to sleep position.  If you have a soft mattress your spine is not being supported through the night.  It doesn’t matter what sleep position you prefer, back, side, or stomach, a soft mattress with allow your area where you carry most of your weight (commonly stomach or hips) to fall deeper into the mattress folding your body in a “V” shape.  Your body will feel angry with you after being in that “V” shape all night long.

Look, I know changing some of these things is easier said than done, but isn’t the definition of insanity doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result?  If you keep doing what you’ve always done, you’re going to keep getting what you already have…which is a painful back!

If you relate to the above and still have questions feel free to reach out!  Schedule a free discovery call to see how we can best help with your scoliosis:  https://schedulethescoliotherapist.as.me/