Back pain prevention: 5 tips to prevent low back pain when lying down in bed

Research shows that most of us get back pain at some point in our lives. However, in our experience back pain prevention is always more wise than having to figure out ways to manage or improve it. As a result, we thought it wise to pen this blog post. In this blog post we give 5 simple ways that you can help with your back pain prevention or, indeed, to assist alongside your Chiropractic care at our clinic.

It is quite common for people with low back pain in particular to feel it in bed and there are most certainly some tips and tricks to know to make things feel more comfortable as well as help you to empower wellbeing and prevent it from coming back. In most cases the cause of back pain is not serious, however it is always worth getting it checked by us or, in severe circumstances, by your GP.

1.Sort out your bed posture

Our top tip for back pain prevention is not to sleep on your front. Just think about the twisting that goes on in your upper and lower back when you’re on your front for you to be able to breathe and be comfortable. It is most certainly better to get onto your side or your back, depending on your preference. Try to keep your knees closer together so you aren’t twisting as much in bed.

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2. Head and neck support from pillows

Your pillows should be supportive in your side sleeping or back sleeping position. Your spine should ideally be level at most of the times when you are in bed so that you are not putting strain onto the neck muscles or a twist into the lower back. Try to avoid sleeping on your arm. Not only can this cause compressions as well as pins and needles throughout the night, but if you move in the night your posture is not likely to be correct.

3. Invest in a good mattress

Here, you are looking for support and comfort. Our recommendation is to go for a mattress that his highly sprung so it gives you more support or is orthopaedic in nature, however it all depends on your personal taste and circumstances. Our advice is always to order a mattress that is slightly too firm to start with as it will soften up and mould to you over time. In our experience price and brand is not always representative of quality: For back pain prevention, look for something that is supportive and change your mattress every 8 to 10 years to make sure that support continues.

4. Get the pillows right

There’s a lot of good marketing out there when it comes to pillows. Our recommendation is to buy pillows based on comfort and height. You need to ensure the pillows support you enough to keep your head level in the posture you are sleeping in. You will, of course, need additional pillows if you opt for a fluffier pillow to a firmer pillow. Side lying pillows tend to be more firm in their composition. As with mattresses, in our experience price and brand is not always representative of quality, so its certainly worth shopping around.

Smaller, thinner pillows can be rolled or used below the knees to help with back pain prevention and support. Older pillows tend to be best for this, so if you’re changing your pillows, we recommend keeping an older one back just incase.

Pregnancy and L shaped pillows can be good to take strain off the low back but can also help a front sleeper to cuddle up and come onto their side. Of course a normal pillow can help with this too.

5. Check in with a Chiropractor or healthcare practitioner

Back pain at night can be an indication of more severe things going on. Speaking to us at our initial consultation or your GP can help to ascertain if the pain is more musculoskeletal in nature or whether something more is going on that might need attention. Of course in many circumstances Chiropractic can be considered effective in helping with some forms of back pain, but the only way to know for sure is to book in and find out after an assessment with us.