Important Tips To Sleep Well Even With A Lower Back Pain

Posted by Michael Griffin on October 18th, 2019

In most cases, a good night’s sleep is all you need for lower back pain relief in Glendale. But anyone who’s had backache can tell you that it’s not that simple. It’s very difficult to fall asleep when your back feels like it’s lying on a thousand needles. You spend the entire night tossing and turning while trying to find the right position to sleep in. And if you have a poor sleeping posture, you will wake up feeling like you someone clubbed your back in your sleep. If you want to prevent aggravating the pain and sleep like a baby, follow these steps:

Change Sleeping Postures

The way you sleep can either relieve the pain or worsen it. Experts recommend against sleeping on the torso because it adds stress to your neck and bends your lumbar region downwards. They recommend sleeping on the back because this position aligns the vertebrae and internal organs properly. This position distributes your body weight evenly and prevents any strain on your lower back and other pressure points. You can sleep in a fetal position to curl your vertebrae and relieve the tension on the discs.

Change Your Mattress

After eight years or more, the mattress loses its structural integrity and can’t support your back and neck properly. So replace it with a new mattress with the level of softness you prefer. If you suffer from chronic back pain, you should choose one that is neither too firm nor too soft. You can try sleeping with the mattress on the floor to see if the extra support benefits your ache.

Use A Pillow

A plush supportive pillow can support your body and maintain good posture during sleep. The way you use the pillow depends on your sleeping posture. If you are a side sleeper, keep one pillow under your face and the other between your knees. This will ensure that your spine is straight. If you sleep on your back, keep a pillow under your head and your knees to prevent your spine from arching too much. If you sleep in a fetal position, a pillow under your head should suffice. You shouldn’t sleep on your abdomen with back pain, but if you do, use a pillow under your abdomen and don’t use one under your head.

Take A Warm Shower

Heat relaxes the muscles and brings relief. Experts consider heat treatment more effective than cold treatment  for lower back pain relief in Glendale. Take a ten-minute shower or bath in warm water. Let the warm water run over your back.

Apply Heat Pad

You might not feel like taking a night shower if you already had a bath in the morning. So apply a heating pad on your lumbar region for fifteen to twenty minutes before going to bed. If you don’t have a heating pad, you can apply a bottle of hot water instead. Don’t go to sleep with the pad, you might suffer burns during sleep.

Apply Ice Pack To Lower Back

Like heat, cold reduces the inflammation in the joints and muscles of the lower back. Take an ice pack and apply it to your lumbar region for some time. Go to sleep when the pain recedes to a comfortable level.

Get In & Out Of Bed Properly

Don’t bend at your waist or make any sudden movements when you get in or out of your bed. If you do, you will only worsen the ache. When you go to sleep, first sit on the edge of the bed. Then swing your legs onto the mattress, lie down with the support of your arms and slowly roll into your favorite position. When getting out, you just need to reverse the mentioned steps.

You can sleep soundly despite the pain in your back by inculcating these habits in your routine. If your symptoms don’t subside, the problem could be serious. Consult an orthopedist or a chiropractor to find the cause and the proper treatment.