Is Lower Back Pain Keeping You Awake at Night?
Back pain is a common reason people have trouble sleeping. While the severity of chronic back pain can vary, it can keep a person up at night and have a disastrous effect on their energy level and general health.
Chronic Lower Back Pain Symptoms
Lower back pain symptoms are often categorized by how they started and how long they lasted. For example, subacute lower back pain can last between six weeks and three months, while acute back pain typically develops suddenly and resolves within one to six weeks.
In contrast, chronic back pain symptoms often appear gradually and last for more than three months. However, the exact cause of this type of pain must be identified through a comprehensive medical examination, as it usually does not go away or heal on its own without medical treatment.
Since chronic pain is severe and long-lasting, it frequently restricts one’s ability to engage in daily life activities – such as sleeping, working and exercising – which can ultimately worsen the pain. Depending on the root of the pain, symptoms may include:
- Lower back pain that is dull or achy
- A stinging, burning sensation in the lower back, thighs’ backs and occasionally into the lower legs or feet; it may also be accompanied by tingling or numbness (sciatica)
- Muscle spasms and stiffness in the pelvis, hips and lower back
- Pain that worsens after spending a lot of time sitting or standing
- Difficulty walking, sitting down after standing up or standing up straight
Common Causes of Nighttime Back Pain
Many different spinal conditions can cause back pain at night. It is also possible that multiple problems are producing pain. For example, a disc issue, an irritated nerve root or a joint problem frequently causes chronic lower back discomfort. The lumbar spine experiences the most pressure due to the body’s weight and its lowered position.
Common causes of lower back pain include:
- Poor sleep posture
- Muscle spasms
- Spinal stenosis
- Herniated or bulging discs
- Sacroiliac joint dysfunction
- Facet joint dysfunction
- Compression fractures or nerves
- Spondylosis or osteoarthritis
- Sciatica
Treatments for Chronic Lower Back Pain
If you are dealing with chronic lower back pain, our pain physicians at Medici Spine & Pain can help. We offer a range of non-invasive back pain treatments, including physical therapy, injection therapy, medication management and PENS. In addition, if the source of the pain can be repaired, we also perform minimally invasive endoscopic spine surgery at our Marietta surgical center.
Contact us today to learn more about treatment options for long-term relief or to schedule a consultation.
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