Back pain can make a good night’s sleep impossible and your waking hours miserable. Many patients who consult upper cervical chiropractors in Oklahoma City complain of more intense back pain in the morning when they wake up.

Morning back pain is often due to inflammation that stems from sleeping in the wrong position. How should you sleep to avoid severe morning back pain?

Back Pain Signs and Symptoms

You may experience the following if you have back pain:

Stabbing or shooting pain
Muscle aches
Pain that radiates down the leg
Stiffness along with limited flexibility or range of motion

Back Pain Causes

There are many possible reasons why a person gets a backache. Back pain can be due to falling or lifting something heavy. It can be something temporary and only last a couple of days.

If your back pain comes on out of the blue and lasts for less than six weeks, you have acute back pain. However, if your back pain persists for more than three months, it’s a sign of a chronic back pain.

Back pain can also be due to some medical conditions, such as the following:

Ligament or muscle strain

The strain of the back muscles and ligaments occurs from constant lifting of heavy items and sudden uncomfortable movements. Those who are in poor physical shape are more prone to get this. Muscle spasms can ensue if the strain gets worse.

Ruptured or bulging discs

Discs are spongy pads in between vertebrae that protect the bones from rubbing together. They serve as shock absorbers. However, a disc may rupture or bulge and press on the surrounding nerves. It is possible to feel no pain despite a ruptured or bulging disc. Sometimes a spinal x-ray is the only way to know.

Osteoporosis

The bones turn weak and porous leading to compression fractures in the spine.

Arthritis

The lower back can suffer from osteoarthritis. Arthritis may cause the narrowing of the space around the spinal cord, resulting in pain for some people. This condition is known as spinal stenosis.

Skeletal irregularities

One example of a skeletal abnormality is scoliosis. This disorder is due to the curving of the spine to one side. Severe cases are painful, but in general, it is painless.

The Proper Sleeping Position to Avoid Morning Back Pain

According to a LifeHacker blog, people experience intense back pain at night and in the morning because our joints are not moving for long hours during those periods. When our joints are staying still, the brain stops sending blood to the region.

Choosing the correct sleeping position helps a lot in easing the pressure on the spine by retaining its neutral position. This helps avoid or lessen the pain and stiffness when you wake up.

As one of the trusted upper cervical chiropractors in Oklahoma City, here are my recommendations:

Back sleepers

You’re doing the right thing if you sleep mostly on your back. In fact, this is probably the best sleeping position if you suffer from back pain.

Just be sure to put a pillow below your knees to avoid putting stress on your lower back discs. This protects the natural curve of your spine, letting your back relax.

Side sleepers

Sleeping on your side is good for your spine as well, although you must make a few adjustments to make your back more comfortable. Place a thin pillow in between your legs, so your top leg is elevated from the mattress. This keeps your pelvis from twisting.

Choose a pillow with a moderate size, not awkwardly small, yet big enough to stop you from rolling on your stomach or back. Your head pillow should not be thicker than the gap from your neck to the end of your shoulder. Similarly, your pillow should not be too thin, letting your head sink to the bed and twisting your neck.

Stomach sleepers

If you sleep on your stomach, it’s time to change your sleeping position because it can harm your spine. Sleeping on your stomach is the worst way to sleep if you have back pain because it twists your head to one side for many hours.

Also, your spine is overextended, which can make your low back pain much worse. If this is your only means to sleep, you must turn slightly to your side and use a slim pillow to prop yourself up.

Resolving Back Pain Through NUCCA Upper Cervical Chiropractic

Do not wait for your back pain to turn chronic before you seek help. If you have been complaining of back pain for days, it is best to pay a visit to Precision Chiropractic in Oklahoma City.

Upper cervical chiropractors in Oklahoma City have a deep understanding of how vital proper spinal alignment is in protecting yourself from back pain. Back pain can stem from a misaligned bone in your upper cervical spine. If the C1 or C2 vertebra goes out of alignment, the entire back will suffer from stress, resulting in damage and pain.

I can assess your neck for subluxations and make gentle adjustments to return the bones to their proper alignment. Upper cervical chiropractic serves as therapy so the bones can move back on their own naturally. Every adjustment is long-lasting, which means fewer adjustments later on.

Call 405-378-3100 if you want to schedule a consultation right away or if you simply want to find out more about this unique form of care.

To schedule a consultation with Dr. Sheppard, call our Oklahoma City office at 405-378-3100. You can also click the button below.