Stiff back in the morning?

Read on – this might save you some pain.

Back problems are incredibly common:

• Estimates from the Australian Bureau of Statistics National Health Survey show about 3.7 million Australians have back problems each year.
• Somewhere between 70 – 90% of people will suffer from lower back pain at some point in their lives.

As an Osteopath, I work with people with all types of back issues every day in clinic, providing relief and advice about what to do with their back issues and how to manage them in the future. But there are some key features that really make my ears prick up.

One of the first questions I ask once someone has booked in for a back issue is: “How does it feel in the morning when you wake up?” It’s really helpful for me in understanding someone’s back problem if they’ve been suffering from back stiffness in the morning, even if it is minor.

There are plenty of reasons why this might be happening. Your mattress, sleeping position, sedentariness, job and level of fitness all contribute. The most important thing to do if you’re waking up in the morning and it’s difficult getting dressed or putting your shoes on because your back is stiff is to DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT and change your behaviour!

For me, the best way to think about a stiff back in the morning is that it’s a sign of an unhappy back. A lot of people who end up with an acute back injury just carry on, business-as-usual and ignore their back stiffness for too long. They’re often very busy and feel they don’t have time to do anything about it. That’s the time to make an appointment with a therapist like an Osteopath to help, but at the very least, follow some of the advice I have listed below. It might help prevent you acutely injuring your back and becoming part of the statistics.

Advice:

• Set aside some time in your day and stretch your back, but not first thing, so maybe in the evening.
• Learn a few basic back stretch positions to help gently stretch your back.
• As a general guide when you’re stretching your back because if it feels good, it’s doing you good. If it feels bad, it isn’t.
• Try to relax your back in these stretch positions. Slow down your breathing and deliberately try to relax your back.
• If you don’t know where to start or things are getting worse, go and consult with an Osteopath. We deal with this kind of thing every day.

I hope this information helps someone suffering from back pain. It’s very common and can be quite disabling when it gets mismanaged and becomes persistent.

I’ve filmed a quick video of my usual back routine. Have a look if it interests you!