If You Answered “YES,” Check Out Our 2 Quick Strategies To Get You Back Your 7-8 Hours Of Sleep

Dr. Arnan Sisson,PT

A recent study on 1,941 people suffering from back/hip pain found that 58.7% of them were losing significant amounts of sleep and were lacking energy the next day. So to say that trouble sleeping is common with back pain is an understatement!

In our practice, we see all sorts of folks frustrated with back or hip pain dealing with...

• Being forced to take loads of Tylenol, Ibuprofen, or even Naproxen to mask the pain to get through the day
• Getting poked and prodded with painful injections that may or may not even work for a few days
• Losing the ability to enjoy the simple things like sitting in a chair, bending over to tie their shoes, or even walking the short distances needed to make it through the grocery store

If any of these sounds familiar, most likely you ALSO have trouble with going to sleep at night. So in today's article, we’re going to go over two solid approaches to easing your back/hip pain while in bed.

2-Step Mattress Test

Did you know a study was done to find out what sort of mattresses were best for back pain? They found out #1 thing that increased back pain in the bed was having a mattress that had dips or dents. These things stretch muscles on one side of the back and scrunch the muscles on the opposite side all night long. So, you can see how this can make the back pretty angry.

To see if your bed is creating this bad stress, try this 2 Step Mattress Test below:

1. Get to the side of your mattress and get your head level with the surface
2. See if from that angle you notice a dip or dent on any section of your mattress

If you notice you have a small dip or dent you can do a few things to take care of it. Just turn the mattress around so it’s on the other side (… your partner may not like this option though!). Or you can get a mattress from another room to bring it. 

A third option would be to place some plyboard under the mattress. For some mattresses, this can push up the dent and level it out. But if this is doable, it is most definitely worth it to invest in a brand new mattress because it will take off that bad stress and help you better enjoy your life.

Top Sleeping Position

Another thing we can switch up while we sleep is the starting position we get in while we lay on the bed. At the same time, you may fall asleep and get out of it.  The initial position you take up is important and can remove stress from the back. This can in turn reduce the inflammation in the back and allow you to tolerate any other position much better later at night. 

One rule that I give to any sort of client of mine whether is a back client, neck, knee, or heck even a patient that has a finger injury is this… keep the joint neutral! That means when sleeping in the bed, it's best to get the back fairly straight while we’re dealing with an ache/pain.

For many the easiest way to do this is to lay on your side, place a pillow between your knees, and try to straighten up to avoid a 100% curled-fetal position.

Chat With Me About It!

If you’re one of the unlucky 60% that’s dealing with bedtime back/hip pain, then try those tips above. And they generally work fairly well for most cases. If you’re still tossing and turning more than 2-3 times a night and frustrated with back pain then feel free to give me a ring at (804) 493-3256 (accepting messages 24/7). We can hop on the phone together, chat about your particular back pain/nighttime routine, and figure out the best routes you can take to get back your sleep once and for all!