6 Possible causes of morning back pain and how to address them
09/08/2019 / By Edsel Cook
Do you often wake up with pain in your lower back? By identifying the symptoms of likely causes of morning back pain, you may find out what plagues your body and take the right steps to manage your condition.
Your morning back pain may come from degenerative disc disease
The first possible cause is degenerative disc disease. Also called spinal arthritis, it stems from the narrowing of the lumbar spinal canal due to the spinal discs getting worn out with age. This then constricts the nerves along the spine.
Degenerative disc disease causes pain, stiffness, and decreased mobility in the lower back or neck. The severity of the pain varies — it may spread to other body parts, get worse during the morning, or even affect sleep.
Other symptoms of the disease include weakness in the leg muscles or foot drop, an abnormality that makes it difficult for a person to lift the front part of his foot. Degenerative disc disease can also cause insensitivity and tingling in the arms and legs.
Patients with the disease may experience pain when they sit, lift, or bend over. The pain, however, goes away when they change position, move, or walk.
To relieve their symptoms, patients with degenerative disc disease can use ice packs and heat packs, a back brace that reduces the stress on the spine, or physical therapy. They can also adopt alternative medical approaches like acupuncture and chiropractic therapy. (Related: Looking for pain relief? Try these 12 natural painkillers.)
Is fibromyalgia causing pain and stiffness in your back every morning?
Another serious cause of back pain and stiffness in the morning is fibromyalgia. The chronic disorder triggers aches, discomfort, and sensitivity in various body parts.
People with fibromyalgia also suffer from fatigue, headaches, issues with their concentration and memory, sleep disorders, and numbness and tingling in their limbs. They also often experience irritable bowel syndrome.
There are natural ways to improve the symptoms of fibromyalgia. These include making healthy lifestyle changes, such as exercising regularly and adopting a diet rich in inflammation-fighting foods, and using acupuncture, chiropractic, or massage therapy for relieving pain.
Patients may also reduce morning back pain by doing stretching exercises before leaving the bed and taking a warm shower right afterward. Before sleeping, they may set the room temperature to a pleasant one and find a position that reduces the strain on their backs.