Waking up to back pain is a rough way to start the day. The aches, stiffness, and discomfort can make it difficult to get moving in the morning. Simple things like bending over to put on socks can become a problem, even getting out of bed can seem daunting. If you don’t remember a specific injury, one of the most disturbing things is not knowing why you have this pain.
The pain may not have been a big deal at first, but day after day of restless sleep and uncomfortable mornings will wear you down. Often with morning back pain the symptoms will be the worst when you first wake up but seem to improve as the day goes on. As time passes the level of pain may stay the same. Sometimes will grow more severe.
Because the symptoms can subside during the day we can be led to think that the situation has improved or that the pain was temporary. The fact is the problem is consistent, the relief is temporary. This is a painful, frustrating cycle.
You may want to look into changes like adjusting your sleeping position or purchasing a new mattress to try to ease the discomfort and improve the quality of sleep. Both of these things can help to reduce the strain put on your back during the night. They don’t necessarily treat the root of the problem though. Hot baths or over the counter medication are the same way, they can help temporarily, but they are treating the symptoms. You need to address the real problem.
There are many underlying issues that may be causing your morning back pain. It is important to address what is causing your specific pain in order to come up with an effective way to address the problem. Visiting your chiropractor can help you determine exactly what is happening to cause pain every morning. Let’s talk about one of the most common forms of back stiffness in the mornings.
Muscle imbalances and poor conditioning of the muscles can lead to morning back pain. If the muscles aren’t functioning as intended you are susceptible to joint issues, problems with the discs and vertebrae. We can help correct this.
If the muscles in the lumbar area are not balanced they can cause issues with the discs, which can cause an issue with the nerves. Usually your body will respond by stiffening the muscles of the lower back to help guard against more damage. This is called “muscle guarding.”
Though your body is just trying to protect the area the spasms and rigidity can be very painful and can drastically reduce range of motion. Resting the area can help but you will need outside help to completely restore the muscles to a relaxed state. You also need to address the damage that has caused the muscle guarding in the first place.
Call our office if you are tired of waking up every day with lower back pain, we can help!
