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PainMorning Misery: 5 Hidden Causes of Lower Back Pain When WakingGenerally, lower back pain is one of the most common musculoskeletal symptoms and a leading cause of hospital visits and absence from work. It manifests at varying intensities and may present with different aggravating and relieving factors. In some people, the back pain is worse in the morning upon waking and improves as the activities of the day go on.
Morning back pain may be due to activities performed before you sleep, the kind of mattress you sleep on, and how you sleep. Understanding these possible cases can help you limit the risk of morning lower back pain and walk with optimal spine health.
» Wondering about using CBD for back pain
1. Poor Sleeping Posture
If you notice back pain in the morning when you wake, it may be because of your posture. A poor sleeping posture places pressure on the spine, causing the natural lumbar curvature to flatten out, and leading to pain. This is most common in people who sleep on their stomachs but may also happen in people who sleep on their backs and sides without proper support.
How to Fix Your Sleeping Posture
You should take note of your body position when you go to bed, wake up at night, or wake in the morning to get an idea of how you sleep and to make corrections where necessary. Ideally, you should place a pillow under your lower abdomen if you want to sleep on your stomach—though you really shouldn't. If you're sleeping on your back, you should place a pillow under your knees for support. While you can place a pillow between your knees and under your chest if you sleep on your side.
» Struggling with sleep issues? Read our tips for better sleep
2. Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition that causes widespread pain in the muscles all over the body, including the back. It can also cause anxiety, fatigue, memory and mood issues, restless sleep, and tension headaches. Fibromyalgia is common around age 45, and more prevalent in women than men. When it occurs, fibromyalgia can also cause lower back pain that worsens in the morning.
3. Mattress Quality
The mattress quality, thickness, and firmness can influence the quality of your sleep and also predispose you to back pain. Also, mattresses degrade with time and shouldn't be kept longer than about 10 years. Any mattress quality that affects the normal curvature of your spine can predispose you to low back pain.
Aim for Better Quality Mattresses
Generally, the best mattresses are those that promote a neutral spine. While no consensus on the quality of mattresses can do this, medium-firm mattress surfaces are believed to relieve lower back pain. Additionally, you should get rid of any mattress that is more than 10 years old.
4. Spinal Stenosis
Lumbar spinal stenosis is a narrowing of the spinal canal in the lower back, leading to a compression of the nerves that exit through the canal. The compression causes pain and numbness that can radiate from the back to the leg. Spinal stenosis can be aggravated by the way you sleep, causing more pressure to be placed on the nerves during the night and leading to severe pain in the morning.
5. Degenerative Disc Disease
Disc degeneration occurs when the intervertebral discs begin deteriorating as a result of ageing and natural wear and tear from prolonged and repeated use. DDD causes intense pain which is worse in the morning and may radiate to the legs; it typically improves with movement.
How to Relieve Morning Back Pain
If you suffer from morning back pain, you can do the following to find some relief, even if you're unsure of the cause:
Exercises
A combination of stretching and strengthening exercises can help you maintain optimal spine health, reduce any pain due to compression, and improve your flexibility. There are a variety of stretches that can be done, with the most common being the knee-to-chest flexion exercise, cat pose, child’s pose, etc.
» See our top menopause-friendly exercises for joint pain
Medications
Low-grade inflammation during the night may cause or exacerbate pain, so using non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications around your bedtime can significantly affect the rate of inflammation and reduce morning back pain.
Natural Remedies
Consider supplementing your diet with anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving components, like those in our Unwind Drops for muscle relaxation and Unwind Muscle Rub to relieve sore muscles with the help of a massage.
Consult Your Doctor
Though there are many hidden causes of lower back pain in the morning, many of them are difficult to diagnose without proper medical intervention. If you experience painful symptoms even after trying the tips listed here, or if your pain worsens over time, consult your doctor to get an accurate diagnosis and treatment plan so that you can live pain-free.
PainFit and Free: Overcoming Lower Back Pain With 5 Physio ExercisesLower back pain is a leading cause of discomfort in people of all ages. Its causes range from specific (trauma, degeneration, disc herniation, or arthritis of the spine) to non-specific (such as poor postural). Whatever the case, it is important that you manage lower back pain before it becomes chronic and difficult to manage.
Naturally, avoidance of the painful area is the response of most people to pain. With back pain, you may feel like getting off your back or bending in a particular way will help, but this could actually lead to muscle spasms and more pain.
Instead of resting, keeping the back moving boasts great therapeutic benefits. You may also strengthen the muscles of the back and abdomen which work together to keep you erect and stable. That said, here are our top five exercises you can perform on your own to help relieve lower back pain.
» Take a look at some natural remedies for menopause joint pain
1. Child’s Pose
This is a forward bending pose that can relax the lower back muscles and bring comfort. To perform the stretch:
Take a kneeling postureKeep your knees apart and lower your butt back onto your heelsLower your upper body between your knees, stretching your arms forward along the floor with your palms facing downwardYou can also take your arms back alongside your thighs, turning your palms upwardsContinue till your forehead is on or near the floor and hold the position for 20 to 30 secondsRest and repeat several times
2. Cat-Cow
The cat-cow is an auto-mobilization exercise for the lower back that aims to restore normal movement to the spine and pelvis. To perform this exercise:
Begin on all foursKeep your palms flat and facing forwards and your knees aligned to your hipsSlowly lower your head by tucking your chest in and raising your back towards the ceiling—this should take 3-4 secondsHold the position for a few seconds and relax your back, sticking out your chest and looking upwardRepeat between 8 and 10 times before rounding up the set
» Read more: Using CBD for Back Pain
3. Double Knee-to-Chest Stretch
The double knee-to-chest exercise provides quick lower back pain relief by reducing pressure on the lumbar spine and stretching the back muscles. To perform the exercise:
Lie on your back with both legs bent, keeping your feet flat on the floorLift your feet off the ground, directing your knees towards your chestClasp your hands just below your knees and use the hands to pull both knees to your chest Hold the position for 20-30 secondsRelease and repeat at least five times for one set
4. Supine Bridge
The supine bridge strengthens the hip extensors and trunk muscles, promoting trunk stability and relieving lower back pain. To perform the exercise:
Lie on your back with your arms on the floor at your sides, your knees bent, and your feet flat on the floorSlowly lift your hips off the floor by tightening your glutes and core abdominal musclesEnsure you keep your back straightHold the position for 20-30 seconds and then lower your hips to the floorRepeat 10 times for one set
5. Lower Back Rotation
Otherwise known as lumbar rotation, this exercise targets the lower trunk area. To perform the exercise:
Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floorKeeping your back rooted to the floor, bring your knees together and roll them to the left side of your bodyPause for 5-10 seconds in the new position before returning to the starting positionRepeat the same motion on the right sideAlternate between both sides 5-10 times for one set
» Discover the benefits of treating back pain at home with CBD
Conclusion
While exercising with back pain can be tough, these exercises should not add to your pain. Pay attention to your body and stop any exercise that proves hurtful. Additionally, you should consider implementing additional natural remedies that may bring some relief to your chronic lower back pain, such as medicinal mushrooms.
If your back pain persists, be sure to consult a doctor as it may be an indication of something more severe.
PainIs It Recommended to Use CBD Oil, Cream, Or Salve for Arthritis?The popularity of CBD oil has meant that there are various methods available to utilize the substance. CBD oil has been used as a treatment for arthritis, so this article will assess whether you should use CBD oil, cream, or salve for this ailment.
It should be noted that scientific evidence suggests that CBD may relieve pain and inflammation associated with arthritis. The substance should therefore be effective, regardless of the form in which you use it.
Popular Method
CBD oil is by far the most popular way of utilizing the substance and is the first port of call for most people. It is certainly the most widely available form of CBD as well, and this means that it will be an excellent choice for most people looking to treat arthritis.
However, creams associated with CBD are also becoming popular, and there are advantages associated with these for those treating arthritis. The major benefit of a CBD cream is that it can be applied directly to a particularly troublesome area; a significant advantage when dealing with arthritis.
Salve is another application option for CBD treatment, although one that is significantly less common. This definitely bears consideration but could be much harder to get hold of than the other two options in this field.
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Which Should You Choose?
Tinctures are probably the most popular method of consuming CBD due to their discretion and the ease of ingesting. Holding a few drops under your tongue (at your recommended dose) for 30 seconds in a method called sublingual application will allow the CBD to be absorbed into your bloodstream through the surrounding tissue. The benefit of this method is that you might experience a generalised decrease in inflammation throughout your body for prolonged periods of time, without having to wait too long before you notice any positive effects.
Topical application involves rubbing a CBD-containing cream or balm onto the affected area and letting it absorb through the skin. Although this method has the lowest bioavailability, it has the advantage of focusing the benefits onto a localised area. Combining topicals with tinctures could give you the most benefit.
Guiding Principle
As a general rule, CBD oil can be used effectively due to the wide variety of concentrations available. This is a major advantage of CBD oil over other forms as its dosages can be more readily controlled due to the vast amount of products on the market.
However, CBD cream may also be a particularly effective and targeted way of treating arthritis, a topical method that has been shown to be effective in studies and research. The good news for arthritis sufferers is that there are several CBD options available that could all be potentially effective.
PainBest CBD Products for Sciatica Nerve PainThe sciatic nerve is the longest and thickest nerve in the human body, originating in the lower back and running down both legs. When this nerve is aggravated - usually, but not exclusively, as a result of a herniated disk- it can lead to inflammation, pinching, or compression of the sciatic nerve, resulting in a chronically painful condition called sciatica.
The most common symptoms of sciatica are a moderate to severe nerve pain and numbness in any area inhabited by the sciatic nerve.
The condition usually goes away on its own after time but can have its symptoms eased with medication, which is where CBD comes into play. With the growing body of evidence to support the fact that CBD exhibits anti-inflammatory and analgesic (pain-relieving) properties, more individuals are turning to CBD products.
In this article, we will be discussing the effectiveness of this and how best to go about using CBD oil for sciatica.
How to Take CBD Oil For Sciatica
There are a growing number of products that contain CBD oil, all with their different methods of application, which gives you a lot of room to choose which CBD products you'd like to try.
Using Hemp, CBD Oils and Tinctures for Sciatica Nerve Pain
Probably the most widely used form of CBD, oils or tinctures applied sublingually have the best balance of bioavailability, time of onset, duration of the effect, and low risk.
The only CBD form that has a higher bioavailability than sublingual application is vaping or smoking, but the added risk to your respiratory system is not advised.
Does CBD Cream Help Sciatica?
Although topical CBD products (balms, lotions, and oils) have relatively low bioavailability, you might still find some benefit from using them for sciatica. Rubbing CBD balms or creams onto the affected areas in addition to taking CBD oils sublingually can potentially treat the sciatica pain and inflammation in a local area.
What is the Best Dosage and Strain of CBD for Sciatica?
As is always the case with CBD products, there is no recommended dosage, and it varies greatly depending on the individual, the product, and the condition. The only advice you can get on this topic is to start low and go slow until you find what works for you.
As for the strain, Indica and Sativa are terms often used to differentiate the different types of cannabis flowers that are purchased for their varying THC content (the psychoactive compound of cannabis). The terms don't really apply to refined CBD products as most, if not all, have the THC removed.
Are There Possible Drug-to-Drug Interactions?
Both analgesic and anti-inflammatory meds are prescribed for sciatica. Although CBD seems to exhibit the same effects as these drugs, they operate with different mechanisms.
However, the three substances are metabolised by the liver in relatively the same way, and so taking them in conjunction could potentially slow the rate at which the pharmaceuticals are metabolised and therefore increase the risk and severity of their associated side effects.
A Final Thought
CBD has been used for millennia as a treatment for pain and inflammation, and so could potentially be an effective treatment for sciatica. However, there is no documented evidence of interactions between prescribed sciatica medication and CBD.
What this means is that you should first contact your doctor before intending to implement CBD into your life as they can give you more insight into your particular situation.
PainDoes CBD Oil Help Relieve Chronic Pain?CBD oil is becoming an increasingly popular way to treat a variety of ailments. Its pain-relieving qualities are considered particularly attractive by many advocates of the substance. So in this article, we’re going to examine the ability of CBD oil to relieve chronic pain in particular.
The National Centers for Complementary and Integrative Health found in a study that CBD oil can indeed have some positive impact on chronic pain symptoms. This is encouraging for those looking for a solution to this issue, but there has been a dearth of research overall.
Is CBD Oil FDA Approved?
Indeed, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has yet to approve CBD oil for treating pain of any sort. Nonetheless, despite this apparent snub to CBD oil, it is also important to note that the FDA also considers CBD oil to be a perfectly safe option.
However, another review in 2020 found that CBD oil can help relieve chronic pain in some circumstances. This research also discovered that CBD oil was effective in improving sleep and reducing inflammation.
CBD oil has also been used to reduce neuropathic pain, which emanates after the damage done to the nervous system. This former pain is common in conditions such as multiple sclerosis, and thus can be deemed chronic pain.
Reviews and Studies
A 2017 review also outlined the success of CBD oil in treating chronic neuropathy pain. Over 1,200 patients were involved in the trials, and CBD oil had a consistently effective impact on those participating in the process.
Another study published in 2016 discovered that CBD oil could be effectively utilized to ease the symptoms associated with arthritis. A large majority of patients utilizing CBD oil reported improvement in pain associated with arthritis.
Overall, there is good scientific evidence that suggests that CBD oil can assist with chronic pain. However, there remains a gap in research, and more effort is needed to fully confirm this tendency.