Wellness

[gazelle77]

I have back pain when getting up from lying down flat. Especially in the morning,getting out of bed. I have this pain that is located upper mid back, on both sides of my back. Not on my spine, not lower back. Just on the right and left side of my upper back, radiating deep from the rib cage. Getting up from laying down flat is always painful. In the morning I am bent over some for about 15 minutes while walking around until I can stand up straight. The pain goes away.... I am fine during the day, but, when I sit I must put a pillow behind me in the hollow of my back or I feel the same type of discomfort- to a lesser degree- that I have in the morning. I use a pillow in the car as well when driving

I do have a new mattress.. so that is not the issue. I was thinking it was tight muscles... I do have arthritis in my lower spine and both hips, I do not know if this pain in the upper mid back would be connected. I have never had a massage. I do not believe in Chiropractic so that is not something I would do.

Any suggestions? I know I can bring it up with my doctor next check up and I will come July. Since doctors do not seem to be much help, EVERYONE AND THEIR MOTHER COMPLAIN TO THEM ABOUT THEIR BACK...., I figured I would get any suggestions from some of you who may have a simular issue. Thanks so much for your time!

[Porcelain]

Hmmmm. The sides of your upper mid back would be your latissimus dorsi muscles, wouldn't they? Or maybe your deeper trapezius muscles. Have you tried any good back stretches?

It's possible that your new mattress is causing you to sleep differently, which could affect your back. If I sleep too long on the sofa I know I get back pain. Maybe try experimenting with pillows and different support schemes when you sleep to see if it helps.

[gazelle77]

On 5/13/2014 Porcelain said:

Hmmmm. The sides of your upper mid back would be your latissimus dorsi muscles, wouldn't they? Or maybe your deeper trapezius muscles.Have you tried any good back stretches?

It's possible that your new mattress is causing you to sleep differently, which could affect your back. If I sleep too long on the sofa I know I get back pain. Maybe try experimenting with pillows and different support schemes when you sleep to see if it helps.

I sleep without a pillow- flat- as a pillow makes my neck hurt.... the only pillow I use is between my knees to comfort my hips when I sleep.

[hckynut]

Just posted this same thing in the other "backache" thread. Not exactly the same as what you have but these same things apply to any part of the spine.

___________________________________________________________

Any Physical Therapist or a doctor that Specializes in the Spine, will tell you the best way to protect your back takes 2 things.

Keep every thing(muscles and connective tissues)on your rear side as flexible as possible. Along with that keep the supporting structures on your front side as strong as possible.

This takes daily(sometimes more often)strengthening and stretching exercises that are specific to certain muscle and connective tissue groups. As long as ones back side is flexible as one can get it, and the front side support muscle groups are as strong as possible? Chances of a serious type of damage is reduced greatly.

The best thing immediately when one notices any pain is ICE. If the pain is anywhere in the lower spine along with that is to get into a prone or on lying on your back position. The objective is to reduce the strain on the whole spine not just the area where one is having the perceived pain. If ones gastrointestinal tract can handle them, anti-inflammatory meds are also something that will help with the pain that is sometimes accompanied with inflammation.

Never a bad idea to remember what one was doing 24 hours before the pain started as many times one has to look in reverse to see if maybe an accumulation of things could be the cause of this type of discomfort.

[Harpa]

Like the blind leading the blind....! Hi, gazelle, your fellow back sufferer! Only I'm more concerned about your back problem than mine. I know what mine is from and the ways I can ease out of it.

Have you always slept w/o a pillow? I should think that would put undue strain on your neck, etc. area/s unless your legs were quite propped up. Which is how I sleep - on my back, with a supporting pillow, but w/ my knees & legs elevated with another pillow.

I haven't had back problems in a long time, (since my GD was littler and I was lifting & dancing with her often.)

hckynut is right about the good solid front core, which I also had (yes, past tense) when I was doing Pilates regularly.

That would be my suggestion -- to elevate your legs while sleeping, and see if that doesn't help to take off any pressure and so that you don't feel the stiffness in the mornings.

Best wishes!

[gazelle77]

On 5/14/2014 Harpa said:

Like the blind leading the blind....! Hi, gazelle, your fellow back sufferer! Only I'm more concerned about your back problem than mine. I know what mine is from and the ways I can ease out of it.

Have you always slept w/o a pillow? I should think that would put undue strain on your neck, etc. area/s unless your legs were quite propped up. Which is how I sleep - on my back, with a supporting pillow, but w/ my knees & legs elevated with another pillow.

I haven't had back problems in a long time, (since my GD was littler and I was lifting & dancing with her often.)

hckynut is right about the good solid front core, which I also had (yes, past tense) when I was doing Pilates regularly.

That would be my suggestion -- to elevate your legs while sleeping, and see if that doesn't help to take off any pressure and so that you don't feel the stiffness in the mornings.

Best wishes!

I will try that... but when you turn and toss through the night how do you keep your feet elevated?? Wish I had a fancy bed that I could make the bed go up and down!

[Kachina624]

I've recently been troubled by a sharp pain that goes from under right boob around to under the shoulder blade. I couldn't even turn over in bed. Once I got up, I was fine. Went to doctor who thought it might be pluericity or pneumonia. I had a chest X-Ray done and it showed nothing. It's better now but I still get an occasional twinge. It felt like a broken rib.

[terrier3]

I have posted this advice before...

I too was in a lot of pain in the morning, especially after working out the night before. Sometimes I couldn't even turn over in bed...

So I bought a Rumble Roller on Amazon.

My trainer showed me how to use it to relax tight muscles. It took about 5 minutes to feel relief!

My rumble Roller is the heavy duty one in black with large knobs that knead out pain...there are softer versions too.

Now I "roll out" my muscles before I go to bed...and again in the morning if needed.

No more pain...I'm not kidding!

It's less than the cost of one massage...and you can use it any time you feel stiff or in pain.

[hckynut]

On 5/14/2014 terrier3 said:

I have posted this advice before...

I too was in a lot of pain in the morning, especially after working out the night before. Sometimes I couldn't even turn over in bed...

So I bought a Rumble Roller on Amazon.

My trainer showed me how to use it to relax tight muscles. It took about 5 minutes to feel relief!

My rumble Roller is the heavy duty one in black with large knobs that knead out pain...there are softer versions too.

Now I "roll out" my muscles before I go to bed...and again in the morning if needed.

No more pain...I'm not kidding!

It's less than the cost of one massage...and you can use it any time you feel stiff or in pain.

Olympic Athletes have been using this type of method for several decades now. I bought one of these back in the 1980's and I took it to all the hockey games when I was the Ref. In between periods I would use it to roll over my quads and it helped keep them loose and a lot more comfortable.

Showed it to one of my Ortho Doc players and he had never seen one before. He passed this on to his friend that now owns, I think, 6 Physical Therapy Clinics in our city. They use it and recommend it for just about anyone and on any or all specific muscle groups. The theory is pretty much like walking or moving muscles to help disperse the lactic acid built up when doing any type of high level/longer lasting type of movement with certain muscle groups.

With hockey for me it is the quads and for running Road Races and training it was the back side of the legs.

It definitely is something I too would recommend for someone to try. At first for some it might hurt a bit, depending on what level of contraction this muscle happens to be at the time. But overall I have yet to find anything better for a quick loosening up product for muscle and connective tissue relief when overused or close to being overused.

Forgot all about this thing and thanks for telling those here about it.

[Kachina624]

I'd like to try this thing. Amazon has three. Can someone please look and tell me which would be best for lower back pain?