Back Pain Night Disc-o.
Trying to get a good night’s sleep in Melrose Park, Edwardstown or Mawson Lakes at the moment is hard enough with the overnight temperature in the high 20’s, but if you have back pain, you may know only too well that things can get worse in the small hours of the morning, and disturb your sleep anyway. You may find yourself doing your own night time disco trying to settle it down. A HealthMoves Physiotherapist can help.
Discs in Your Back
Intervertebral discs, those shock absorbing jelly like blocks that sit between each back bone section, the vertebrae, can be one reason for the night time pain. Those discs have their steak and chips at night. That is, they take on nutrients and fluid while you are lying down. This makes them increase in size. It’s also why you are taller in the morning. But if that disc is ruptured, damaged or otherwise problematic, it may be that as the disc gets bigger, the problem gets bigger. So what might be a little bit of discomfort at 2 in the afternoon becomes agony at 4 in the morning.
Treatment for Disc Related Back Pain
Core Exercises
What can you do about it? Taking the Doctor prescribed pain relief just before going to bed may delay the onset of pain. Getting out of bed and moving about a little can reduce some of the pressure, and decrease the pain, but can take too long to be of much value. Many patients tell me they get up, and eventually go back to bed just as the rest of the house is waking up, not much fun either. A detailed assessment by a physiotherapist at HealthMoves Physiotherapy Edwardstown, or at Mawson Lakes Physiotherapy is a good start. They will assess your condition and all the contributing factors, your muscles, joint movements, nerves and daily activities to then guide your recovery.
Learn to Unload Your Spine
It can help to look after the condition, and that also means your spine, really well during the day. This way there is not so much of a problem to get out of hand at night. Well that’s easy then. Don’t go to work, don’t lift the baby, or the shopping, don’t drive the car, or sit in any chair, or stand for too long…. Okay, so it’s not that easy. But with the right advice things do get better. And the right movement and strengthening is essential. Back pain typically resolves in 6 to 12 weeks. The physiotherapists at Health Moves Physiotherapy in Edwardstown and Mawson Lakes are skilled and experienced at treating this. They can assess you, guide your rehabilitation and home program, which would include core exercises or Pilates for abdominal support and muscle control. These can help prevent the problem re-occurring. It can be hard mentally too. Don’t loose heart. Seek professional advice.
Andrew Scott
Physiotherapist
Health Moves Physiotherapy, Edwardstown and Mawson Lakes
