At the end of a long day, climbing into bed to settle in for the night can be an amazing feeling. But for some people, something as simple as lying down can cause back pain that prevents them from resting properly. Even when you don’t have pain during the day and don’t know of an injury, it’s common for the back to suddenly cause discomfort once you’re on a flat surface. This can happen for a number of reasons, all of which should be addressed with chiropractic back pain treatment.
Potential Causes
Occasional pain when lying down is common and may be a sign of something as simple as a strenuous day or having slept in an odd position. This isn’t always a sign of a serious health condition, especially when it isn’t present after a night of sleep. However, other serious issues can also cause this pain, so it is important to monitor when it happens. Below are some common causes of back pain that appear when you lay on a flat surface.
Poor Posture
For people who are not very active, sit at a desk for long periods, or simply have poor posture, the hip flexors can become tighter than they should be. This can cause dull, aching pain in the lower back, as this area of the spine rounds inward. This rounding then applies pressure to your spinal discs, causing pain when lying flat as the body tries to compensate for the rounding.
Sprains and Strains
The most common cause of lower back pain is when sprains and strains happen, stretching and tearing muscles and ligaments. These will usually cause pain throughout the day, but the pain may worsen when flat.
Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS)
This is a rare form of arthritis that involves chronic inflammation in the back and neck. It is known to be helped by exercise and be worst at night when in bed.
Spine Osteoarthritis
Wear and tear on the joints in the spine can intensify at night due to inactivity.
Sciatica
When the vertebrae in the back irritate the sciatic nerve, the pain can reach down the legs. Certain sleeping positions may worsen this pain and cause numbness and tingling.
Other causes can include spinal stenosis, spinal tumors, and herniated discs. Nighttime back pain can also be a symptom of pregnancy, kidney stones, or other forms of arthritis.
When to Seek Medical Care
As a rule of thumb, any back pain that wakes you up from sleep or prevents you from being rested is enough to warrant a discussion with a chiropractor. Pain accompanied by symptoms like stiffness or loss of range of motion can also be a sign of a more serious underlying problem.
If any of the following are true, you should seek care as soon as pain begins:
- You have a specific injury that occurred when the pain began
- The pain continues to worsen
- The pain is severe or radiates to other parts of the body
- You are experiencing signs of infection, like redness, warmth, swelling, or fever
- Your lower body is weak, numb, or tingling
Any personal history of cancer, unexplained weight loss, or sudden loss of bladder control are also signs that immediate medical attention is needed.
Diagnosing and Treating Back Pain
A chiropractor will begin by working to identify the underlying cause of your pain. They may use a physical exam, a review of your medical history, and diagnostic imaging to rule out more serious conditions and understand potential causes. Lab tests and neurological exams can also be used, depending on what is suspected.
In most cases, a simple misalignment or injury will be at fault, and treatment will be non-invasive. Applying heat and ice, taking over-the-counter medication, and gentle stretches are likely to help, along with physical therapy and regular chiropractic adjustments. More severe cases may also be treated with spinal injections, including steroids or epidural injections, as a way to block pain.
When the pain is related to lying in bed, you may also be advised to evaluate your sleep environment. A chiropractor can recommend ways to improve your sleeping position, pillows, mattress, and overall sleep environment. Only in serious cases where these methods do not offer relief is surgery an option. Degenerative disc disease, osteoarthritis, and sciatica are all potentially treated with surgery.
If you are experiencing back pain when lying down, contact AICA Tucker to schedule your first appointment with one of our skilled chiropractors today.