Russians were told the causes of morning lower back pain

Morning lower back pain rarely indicates serious illnesses, but it can cause severe discomfort. On June 26, Artyom Bagautdinov, a neurologist and rehabilitologist at the Three Sisters Clinic, and Olesya Solodkova, a category manager for ORMATEK mattresses, told about how sleep habits, sleeping place and physical activity during the day affect its occurrence.

"During sleep, the spine should maintain its most natural position. If the surface is too soft, the pelvis may collapse excessively, and if it is too hard, the body does not receive the necessary support in anatomically important areas. In both cases, the load on the lumbar spine is unevenly distributed, which can cause discomfort after sleep," Solodkova explained.

Another common cause of morning lower back pain is staying in one position for a long time during sleep, the neurologist notes. At the same time, the sleeping position on the stomach is considered one of the most unfavorable, since in it the lower back is in a position of increased tension for several hours in a row. But sleeping on your side is not suitable for everyone, especially if the upper leg goes forward a lot and the pelvis unfolds after it.

"The pose itself is rarely the only cause of pain. During sleep, we naturally change our body position dozens of times per night, and this is a normal mechanism to protect against tissue overload. Problems arise when, for some reason, a person cannot freely change his position due to pain in another part of the body, high fever, intoxication, severe fatigue or other conditions that limit mobility," Bagautdinov said.

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In addition, morning pain may be related to lifestyle. If the muscles of the back and body receive practically no load for several days in a row — for example, during sedentary work or low physical activity — they are worse able to tolerate prolonged static position, the doctor explains.

"Don't take morning stiffness as a signal to lie down longer. Movement is usually what helps the back. After waking up, it is useful to give yourself a few minutes to gently turn on the day: stretch, make a few smooth movements with your pelvis, walk around the room, take a warm shower," Bagautdinov recommends.

You should be on your guard and consult a doctor if lower back pain becomes regular, persists during the day, wakes up at night, worsens, gives off pain in the leg or is accompanied by numbness and weakness.

On May 14, neurologist Pavel Khoroshev also advised office workers to do isometric gymnastics, which they can do without even getting up from their chairs. He recommended tensing the muscles of your arms and chest every 40 minutes, pressing your palms against each other, or doing resistance exercises. It is also useful to lift the body on a chair, resting your hands on the seat: this helps to relieve the spine.