For individuals suffering from back pain, getting a good night’s rest can often be a challenge. However, some people report feeling relief from the strain on their aching backs after sleeping in specific positions. Often misunderstood, it’s strongly believed that certain forms of back pain can be associated with sleep complications, including an improper sleeping posture.
The Relation of Sleep and Back Pain
“There is not a lot of science behind sleep as a major cause
of back pain,” stated Santhosh Thomas, DO, a spine specialist with the
Cleveland Clinic and associate medical director of the Richard E. Jacobs
Medical Center in Avon, Ohio. However, experts do claim that individuals with
sleep problems experience more complications regarding back pain. “Sleep
deprivation is known to affect mood and functional ability as well as
negatively impact perception of pain,” Dr. Thomas quoted. According to the
National Sleep Foundation, pain in turn can affect the quality of an individual’s
sleep, leading to a lighter sleep state and more frequent waking throughout the
night.
A study published in the Asian Spine Journal in 2014 involving
more than 3,100 people found that more than 32 percent of those individuals
with low back pain suffered from sleep disturbances due to their back pain
symptoms, waking a minimum of two times during the night. Additionally,
improper sleeping posture can place increased pressure on the neck, shoulders,
hips, lower back, knees and even the heels, all which can result in pain. There’s
not a specific sleep position that can ultimately eliminate back pain for
everyone, but a few methods can help manage the symptoms to help individuals
sleep more soundly throughout the night.
Sleeping on your stomach is one of the most common sleep
position which can aggravate back pain. “Typically, sleeping on your stomach
can flatten the natural curve of the spine, putting some additional strain on
your back muscles,” Santhosh Thomas said. “Plus, stomach sleeping means that
your neck is rotated, which can actually result in back pain between the
shoulders,” added Paul Grous, MSPT, a physical therapist and spine specialist
with Good Sheppard Penn Partners in greater Philadelphia.
Other Factors for Back Pain
While several sleep positions can create back complications,
the source of many individuals’ back pain and symptoms is frequently caused by
their daily activities or a lack of it. It is believed that the biggest factor
contributing to the development of back complications among the general
population is the amount of time people spend sitting during their waking hours
in an improper posture. Sitting for extended periods of time behind a desk in a
slouched posture with a rounded back can strain as well as increase the
pressure on the structures surrounding the spine. During daylight hours, its
essential to stand, walk, or stretch as often as possible and practice good
posture when standing and sitting to help ease back pain at night.
How to Correct Posture
Furthermore, several simple modifications to an individual’s
regular sleep position can help reduce the pressure on their back. For those
who sleep on their back, you can place a pillow under your knees to allow the
spine to maintain its natural curve. For those who sleep on their stomach,
place a pillow under the lower abdomen and pelvis to ease back strain. And last
but not least, for those individuals who sleep on their sides, draw your legs
up slightly towards your chest and sleep with a pillow, preferably a full body
pillow, between your knees.
Also, a selected mattress and pillow according to each
person’s individual preference in comfort can help improve back pain symptoms.
Some people prefer the firmness of a harder mattress while others are more
comfortable on a softer mattress. In the same way, some people may find it
helpful to use a contoured pillow to help improve neck pain symptoms or
sleeping on a single pillow as compared to multiple pillows can alleviate neck
strain. Whatever your preference and comfort, its essential for every
individual experiencing some form of back pain to find the best suitable sleep
position, mattress, and pillow for them to relieve or even eliminate their back
pain.
If after a few changes to your sleep regimen, the symptoms
of back pain don’t improve, make sure you seek immediate medical attention to
properly diagnose any possible injuries or underlying conditions that could be
the source of your pain, discomfort, and sleep problems.
By Dr. Alex Jimenez
