What Is Nighttime Back Pain?
What Is Nighttime Back Pain?
Nighttime back pain is a more painful and irritating type of back pain, unlike other types back pain that disappears after some posture adjustment. The nighttime back pain is more persistent, even present during the night. It is also known as nocturnal back pain. Sometimes, this condition may increase in terms of pain during the night. Nighttime back pain can also be an indication of another bigger problem.
Causes of Nighttime Back Pain
- Disc Degeneration
It is a common cause of back pain. It arises from a number of factors, some of them being mechanical problems. These discs are tissues that exist between the vertebrae and act as a shock absorber. Upon degeneration, these discs cause pain at the back which lasts for very long time, frequently during the night.
- Injuries
Injuries that a person suffers from can cause nocturnal back pain. In some cases, the injury may be immediate or may develop slowly. Such injuries can result from sprains and fractures or too much pressure on the back.
Kidney stones can also be responsible for nighttime back pain. Kidney stones causes pressure to the tissues at the back which causes the pain. This type of pain may last for as long as you have kidney stones.
- Posture
Our standing, sleeping and walking posture is a major cause of nocturnal back pain. Most of the time, incorrect posture causes excessive pressure on our tissues which in return causes back pain. This is also results from ruptures or tears of the tissues at the back.
- Health conditions
There certain health conditions that are responsible for nighttime back pain. These include infections such as arthritis. Arthritis is found in different types of back pain where some of them affects the back joints causing nighttime back pain.
- Sleeping behaviors
The type of sleeping habits that we adapt can cause nighttime back pain. The choice of mattress or a pillow may highly affect the effect caused to the back hence causing nighttime back pain.
Tips on How to Relieve Nighttime Back Pain
In most cases nighttime back pain does not go away. This is because the condition is mostly caused by unknown factors. However, you can relieve the pain by applying the following measures. They include:
- Use the right mattress: You can relieve the pain by resting on a mattress. However, the type of mattress you rest on can highly affect the results. Sometimes can worsen the effects. Make sure you use a medium mattress that is not too thin or too heavy.
- Support yourself with a pillow: You should also be careful when choosing the type of pillow to use. Support yourself on a pillow that is not too high or too low. Make sure you change your position after some time.
- Sleep on your stomach: Nighttime back pain is a condition that cannot go away easily. Sleeping on your back can sometimes worsen the condition. You can try to relieve the condition by sleeping on your stomach.
- Painkillers: In cases where the pain is unbearable, it is always advisable to use over-the-counter medications that can relieve the pain. Make sure that you do not take too many of these.
The Bottom Line
In most cases, nighttime back pain is known to be an indication of an underlying condition. Always see a doctor if the condition persists.
