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July 30, 2024

How To Alleviate Back Pain

Nothing can ruin a good night of sleep quite like pain can. Being in pain can make it incredibly difficult to get any decent sleep. Which is why we have collected our favorite tips and tricks on how to alleviate back pain so you can sleep in comfort.

We want you to be able to sleep through the night without having back pain disrupting your night. Keep reading to get all of our tips and advice on how to get great sleep by alleviating your back pain. All in the hopes that you can get back to sleeping in comfort again.

how to alleviate back pain and sleep comfortably

Common Causes of Back Pain:

bad posture smart phones causes back painIn order to properly heal or alleviate your back pain, it is important to first try and determine what is causing your back pain. This could even open up possibilities for preventing your back pain all together.

It will also determine what will and will not help you. We are going to share a list of some of the most common causes of back pain in order for you to get a head start on some of the possible things causing your back to hurt.

  • Arthritis
  • Injuries
  • Tech Neck
  • Muscle Strain
  • Osteoporosis
  • Pregnancy
  • Sciatica
  • Wrong Pillows or Mattress
  • Spinal Stenosis
  • Tight or Weak Muscles

Tips for Alleviating Back Pain

Exercise Back Pain Away:

strengthen your backKeeping your body strong and active is a great way to prevent back pain. Of course you should always be gentle with your body and plan for workouts that will strength your muscles without causing further strain or injuries. When your muscles becomes too weak they can actually cause your joints not to stay where they need to be. Other muscles will begin to compensate for weak ones and you can easily create soreness, pain, and injuries this way.

Which is why keeping your body in good shape can help prevent you from hurting yourself or simply having chronic pain. If you become overweight this can also cause strain and pain for your body. So staying fit and a healthy weight for your body will help you to prevent back pain.

Stretching Daily:

stretching your back in the morning and eveningEvery night before bed and every morning when you wake up, we suggest taking the extra time to stretch your body. Really get in a good stretch not only for your back and neck but for your whole body. Stiff muscles in your hips and legs can resonate and cause strains and pain in your back.

Getting in a good full body stretch before you go to bed can help prevent aches and knots in your muscles as you rest. While stretching in the morning can help to get your blood flowing and work out any stiffness before you start moving again for the day. This can help prevent any discomfort or even injuries caused by your body not being properly warmed up for the day.

Click the link for A Guide To Stretching: AM & PM Routines

Get A Massage:

deep tissue massageA nice massage can do a world of wonders for your back pain. Whether you are paying a professional to give you a deep tissue massage, or having a friend or loved on give you a back rub it can really help to loosen up stiff muscles. This can help relieve back pain and can even get stubborn muscle knots to let go so they no longer cause you pain.

If you are struggle with back pain, make sure you get a full body massage. While often pain resides in our backs, it could actually be caused by tight muscles or knots in other places in your body. Stiff quads, hamstrings, and hips often cause pain in your lower and upper back. So make sure you get a good massage to loosen up all your muscles.

Visit A Chiropractor:

chiropractor to help with your back painLess of a tip and more of a suggestion. Chiropractor use a wide range of tools in order to keep your body in proper alignment. They can even help to stretch and relax muscles using massage and exercises, among many other methods in order to get you pain free.

What we appreciate about seeking professionals to help with your back pain is that they can actually help discover the cause of your pain. Which for obvious reasons, can help you to fix the problem in order to be pain free. By relieving the pain, it will be much easier to get to sleep at night.

Check out our review over the Spine Align Pillow designed by designed by the chiropractor Dr. Loth!

Find The Right Mattress:

get the right mattressEveryone deserves to have a great mattress, especially anyone who struggles with back pain. Even if you have a high quality luxury mattress, it might not have the right comfort features for how you sleep. Which is why we always recommend understanding how you sleep, and what mattress is going to be the best fit for your comfort needs.

If you sleep primarily on your stomach, you are going to be looking at a very different mattress than someone who mostly sleeps on their back. Side sleepers typically need a softer comfort layer in order to get a good amount of pressure relief for their shoulders and hips. While stomach sleepers need a rather firm mattress in order to keep their stomach from sinking in and causing your back to arch and strain.

Looking for a mattress that will ease your back pain? Click the link to learn what mattress will work best for you: Best Mattresses For Back Pain Relief

Change Your Sleep Position:

change your sleep positionIf you are finding that your back or neck pain increases overnight and you are waking up in more pain in the mornings. Then it may mean that you could be sleeping in a position that is not working for you. Of course, having the right mattress and pillows can also greatly impact how you feel waking up in the morning also.

If you are primarily sleeping on your stomach, we cannot recommend enough that you switch to sleeping on your back or side. Sleeping on your back is typically the best position for most sleeper to avoid back, neck, and joint pain. Many people who sleep on their stomachs have issues with chronic neck, shoulder, and back pain. While having the right mattress and pillows can help, it may be worth trying flipping over and sleeping on your back instead.

Get A Better Pillow:

get the right pillow for how you sleep to avoid back painIf you have been sleeping on the same ratty old pillow for years on end, we can almost guarantee that it is not giving you the support and comfort you need. Back sleepers typically need a medium loft size and moderate to firm support. Side sleepers typically need the highest loft size in order to support the head, neck, and shoulders.

While stomach sleepers need their pillows to have as low of a loft height as possible. Stomach sleepers often need firm and low pillows in order to prevent any extra strain on their necks and to prevent pillow fluff getting in your face and preventing you from breathing freely.

It can sometimes take a few tries before you find your goldilocks “just right” feel. However, it will be worth it in the end once you are sleeping on the right pillow and getting great comfortable sleep.

Healthy Diet & Weight Loss:

eat healthy and nutritious mealsA great way to limit or even eliminate your back pain is by taking care of your health and wellbeing. One way you can do that is by making sure you have a healthy diet and active body. It is also important to talk to a doctor and determine a healthy weight for you. This is of course going to look and feel different for everyone. The number on the scale does not matter as long as your body is healthy and happy.

Some aches and pains can be increased or sometimes even caused by carrying excess weight. If you are not taking care of your body and you have reached an unhealthy place, changing your diet and fitness routine could help you to get back on track to health.

This might include fat loss and gaining muscle in order to have a lighter and stronger body. This can help prevent back pain caused by injuries or weakness. It can also help cause less strain on your body. Which can make a huge difference with your sleep.

Learn more about how Foods High in Magnesium can help you get great sleep!

Practice Proper Posture:

practice good postureWe know you have heard this one before, it is something almost all of us struggle with. However, practicing proper posture is a great way to prevent back pain. So much back pain is caused from poor posture, sitting all day, and looking at screens. Our smartphones really have been doing a lot of damage to our necks and backs as we often hold them down in our laps. This can cause some serious neck pains and terrible posture.

One important thing to consider is how you spend the majority of your day. If you have an office job and you sit most of the day, then perhaps investing in a standing desk, a quality chair, or raising your computer screen could help prevent poor posture. While those that stand for the majority of the day can

Quit Smoking:

quit smokingOf course there are many reasons to stop smoking. However, one that you may not have previously known is that it could be triggering your back pain. Smoking can inhibit your body from delivering nutrition to the discs in your spine. This can directly impact the functionality of your spine. This can make it difficult for your body to maintain and cushion your back properly.

This could lead to or increase the likelihood of you experiencing bulging, herniated, or even torn discs. At the very least it can increase inflammation and pain in your back. If you are doing everything in your power to stay healthy and experience less back pain. Then we highly recommend adding quitting smoking to that list.

Click the link for more information on How To Quit Smoking and Sleep Well

Yoga:

take yoga classesYou do not need to be an advanced yogi in order to reap the benefits of practicing yoga. Yoga is a wonderful way to stay active because it focuses on increasing mobility, strength, and flexibility. All of these things can really help to alleviate and prevent back pain. When your body is strong and mobile, it really helps to prevent injuries, aches, and pains.

If yoga specifically is not your style, then Pilates may also be something to look into. Any kind of exercise that not only prioritizes strength, but also mobility will be well worth investing your time and energy in.

Especially if you are looking to prevent back pain. If you are new into yoga or working out always be sure to tell your instructor of any limitations or injuries you have. They will be able to recommend classes at your level, as well as offer potential

Foam Rolling:

foam rolling to alleviate back painIf your back pain is often causes by tight muscles, then we highly recommend foam rolling. You don’t have to be a work out junky in order to reap the benefits of foam rolling. Even from sitting in a chair all day, certain muscles can get strained or tight. Which is why it is so vital to stretch every morning and evening.

However, foam rolling really deepens and goes beyond a simple every day stretch. It really helps to massage your muscles and get them to relax and lengthen. It can even help to increase blood flow and roll out knots and massage your body. Overall, it is a great way to treat your body. There are many different kinds of foam rollers out there. However, you can even start with a tennis ball and you body weight to create massaging pressure.

How To Alleviate Back Pain and Sleep Comfortably – Final Thoughts:

We love to collect tips and tricks on how to alleviate back pain and sleep comfortably. However, at the end of the day it is all about taking care of your body and having the right tools in order to sleep comfortably and prevent any pain or discomfort. Not only can sleeping on the wrong mattress or pillows be uncomfortable, it can even cause or intensify back pain. Which is why getting the right tools for how you sleep is vital. We hope this information along with all of our tips help you to get your best sleep possible and helps to alleviate back pain.

stretching back and neck

If you have any questions, we would love to answer them for you! Send us a message and we will be happy to get back to you as soon as we can.