You want to feel relaxed when you crawl into bed at night, but for millions of Americans, this is when their back pain is at its worst. Not only can nighttime back pain be uncomfortable, but it can also keep you from getting restful sleep, which can intensify pain signals in the morning. In order to put an end to your nighttime bed pain, it’s important to understand exactly what you’re dealing with. Below, we take a closer look at some of the more common causes of nighttime back pain.
Causes Of Nighttime Back Pain
Nighttime back pain can have a few different causes, and it’s important to figure out your underlying cause so that you can pursue the most effective form of treatment. Here’s a look at some potential causes of nighttime back pain.
- Degenerative/Repetitive Stress Conditions – You’re in an inactive state when you’re lying in bed trying to sleep, but that doesn’t mean that your spine is immune from all of the stress that you put on it during the day or over the course of your life. It’s certainly possible that the discomfort you are feeling is the result of conditions like degenerative disc disease or spinal stenosis. Degenerative disc disease occurs when your spinal discs slowly wear down over the years, which can lead to nerve pain or shifting spinal discs, and this discomfort can be more noticeable when you are lying down. Spinal stenosis involves the narrowing of the paths through which spinal nerves pass, and if your body positioning ends up narrowing a spinal opening, a nerve sensation can keep you up at night.
- Pinched Nerves – Similarly, a few different nerve conditions can lead to pain when you get in bed and change how the stress of your body weight is distributed. Pinched spinal nerves can lead to localized or shooting discomfort that makes it hard to fall asleep or stay asleep. Aside from pain, a pinched nerve can lead to numbness or tingling in the affected area or in the extremities. Working to determine the source of the nerve compression or damage is key to resolving the issue.
- Daytime Sprains and Strains – It’s also possible that an acute injury during the day is more noticeable when you’re trying to calm your body and relax. If you hurt your back during the day, don’t be surprised if the affected area is throbbing or uncomfortable to lay on. You may not know exactly what you did to hurt your back, but ultimately you can trace it back to your daytime injury, and this can help a doctor pinpoint the exact injury should symptoms persist and sleep remains difficult to come by. Acute injuries tend to be the most common reason for nighttime back pain, and oftentimes symptoms resolve over the course of a few days with some active conservative treatment techniques.
- Tumor/Infection – Both causes are very rare, but if you recently had a surgical procedure or nighttime back pain is intense and seemingly comes out of nowhere, it may be a good idea to head to a spine specialist’s office to rule out these issues. Infections are more common after a surgical procedure and can be treated with antibiotics, whereas a tumor that is compressing spinal structures or the spinal cord will need to be individually addressed to determine the right type of treatment. Again, these causes are very rare.
- Pregnancy – Finally, if there is a possibility that you are pregnant, or you are well into the second or third trimester, there’s a good chance that your back pain is tied to your changing body. Not only is your midsection getting larger, which puts more strain on your spine and changes your center of gravity, but soft tissues in the pelvis start to become more flexible to prepare for the baby, and that can decrease support to your spinal column, leading to more discomfort throughout the day and at night.
If you want help pinpointing and treating your nighttime back pain, look no further than Dr. Sinicropi and the talented team at The Midwest Spine & Brain Institute. Give them a call today at (651) 430-3800.
