Back pain is an inconvenience for many people. Indeed, according to Statistics Canada, between 70% and 85% of people suffer from it, to varying degrees, during their lifetime. About 40% of these people have their daily activities disrupted, and about 10% have to stop their activities completely.
It often happens that the symptoms related to back pain manifest themselves when you wake up. The first reflex is to attribute the fault to his mattress. However, usually the mattress or the sleeping posture, are only aggravating or triggering elements. Physiotherapist Elaine Maheu explains the possible causes of back pain when you wake up and offers some prevention tips.
People at risk
In general, people over the age of 40 are more prone to suffering from back pain when they wake up. This correlation is explained by the inactivity of people in this age group, the increased risk of symptoms caused by the loss of mobility of the joints and the stiffening of the tissues associated with osteoarthritis. However, a 65-year-old person in very good physical shape may be less at risk than a 35-year-old person who would be less fit, less flexible and with poor muscle tone. This makes it difficult to associate back pain with age and that is why it is better to focus on lifestyle habits. Consequently, an active person with a healthy weight reduces his risk of suffering from back pain.
Main causes of back pain
Back pain can be associated with several factors. If back pain is present at night or when you wake up, it can be caused by poor lying posture, the firmness of the mattress or other sleep-related elements. However, in the majority of cases and excluding cases of accidents, it is bad lifestyle habits and bad ways of moving that constitute the main causes of back pain. For example, the factors below can lead to pain when waking up :
- sedentary habits (lack of physical exercise);
- maintaining poor posture in the long term;
- lack of flexibility;
- lack of mobility;
- loss of muscle tone.
While the following examples can be aggravating factors (or triggers) :
- using an inadequate mattress;
- using an inadequate pillow;
- adoption of an inappropriate sleeping posture.
Regarding the aggravating factors, Elaine Maheu clarifies that they vary from person to person. While it is generally recommended to buy a semi-firm mattress, some people will be more comfortable on a slightly softer or firmer mattress depending on their weight or condition. It is therefore essential to try the different types of mattresses carefully when shopping to determine which is more comfortable according to our own sleeping habits.
Sleeping positions: good and bad
Humans spend almost a third of their lives lying down. For a person living over the age of 80, this figure represents about 250,000 hours. For people at risk, the adoption of good habits in bed is essential to the prevention of back pain.
Here are some examples of bad and good sleep postures.
