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Back pain after sleeping
Last reviewed: 04.07.2025
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If a modern person leads a sedentary lifestyle, this inevitably affects his well-being. In the morning, some of us find it extremely difficult to get out of bed, and we need to spend some time to make at least a few movements, as they say, to move around, in order to somehow reduce the unpleasant sensations. At the same time, sometimes at night you may not feel pain and sleep well. However, if you spend the night in an uncomfortable bed in the same position, then in the morning you will definitely wake up from an unpleasant feeling of back pain after sleep of a pulling nature, localized in the lower back.
The cause of this condition is osteochondrosis, which appears either due to a violation of the mechanics of the movement of the spinal column, or due to a spasm of muscles and ligaments, or even due to minor changes in small joints inside the spinal column. Thus, back pain after sleep occurs, first of all, as a result of muscle spasm, therefore the most common complaints are about a girdle pain of a pulling nature, which can be compared to a hoop tightly pulled over the body. This pain also goes to the peritoneal wall and provokes the appearance of pain in the lower abdomen.
[ Diseases that cause back pain after sleep
Osteochondrosis in the lumbar spine very often manifests itself with almost imperceptible symptoms:
- fatigue,
- slight discomfort when bending the body forward,
- back pain after sleep.
Moreover, these painful sensations have the unpleasant property of increasing. Moreover, they become chronic or can worsen during coughing and sneezing, and sometimes even when you perform such simple actions as clapping your hands or tying your shoelaces.
Quite often throughout the day we notice how quickly the back muscles can get tired, especially if you are forced to stay in an upright position for a long time. This condition is most noticeable in public transport, if there are no free seats left - at first you feel a quiet monotonous exhausting pain in the back after sleep, then, as it increases, it spreads along the entire spinal column. All of the above are manifestations of osteochondrosis in the thoracic spine. Some are inclined to believe that the cause is hidden directly in the back, believing that it is difficult for the spine to be in an upright position for a long time, since it is simply not adapted for this.
Most people, suffering from pain in the neck and back of the head, as well as between the shoulder blades or a certain heaviness in the shoulders, numbness of the hands at night, do not even suspect that these are manifestations of osteochondrosis in the cervical spine. The fact that the vertebral arteries are involved in the process and the blood supply to the brain is disrupted is also evidenced by the blinking of so-called flies before the eyes when a person turns his head. Sometimes even elementary movements can help relieve unpleasant sensations, and in some cases - completely get rid of the pain syndrome.
However, if you cannot tame the pain on your own, you need to seek help from a doctor who will prescribe a course of treatment that is suitable specifically for you. You may be prescribed courses of manual therapy, reflexology, physiotherapy procedures that are aimed at relaxing the muscles. The course of complex treatment of osteochondrosis also includes therapeutic exercise. Usually, the necessary physical exercises are prescribed, which should be performed in warm water, and massage sessions of the back muscles. When the pain goes away, you can begin to do exercises that strengthen the ligaments and muscles attached to the spine. A strong corset of muscles will be the key to not only correct and, accordingly, beautiful posture, but will also reliably support the spine.
If you feel some tension or pain in your back after sleeping, it is likely that you are used to falling asleep on your back. If you sleep on your back with your legs extended, do not be surprised if you soon develop an increased curve in your lower back.
Back pain after sleep, if not caused by any injury, may occur due to the fact that the back muscles have been overloaded for a long time, and as a result of swelling. Therefore, it is extremely important not only to relieve pain, but also to promote the restoration of the back muscle resources, relieve swelling, and restore blood supply to the spinal cord.
If you have seriously injured your spine, as well as with prolonged muscle spasm, subluxations may occur. And this, in turn, causes asymmetrical contraction of the paravertebral muscles, the formation of a local curvature of the spine and the appearance of sharp pain in a certain part of the back. Back pain after sleep often occurs in the morning and is concentrated in the lumbar or cervical regions.
However, a more common cause of back pain after sleep is muscle stiffness, which is caused by stress, poor posture and excess weight. The symptoms are: severe back pain after sleep, which gradually decreases in intensity by mid-day due to increased mobility.
So, if you are overtaken by back pain after sleep, you should immediately seek advice from a traumatologist and a neurologist. They will explain the reasons for your ailment and provide qualified assistance.