Tense Back

Tense Back

Have you ever treated yourself to a massage? During any therapy session where you lie on your back, your therapist will place a pillow, wedge, or other object under your knees so that your body isn’t lying completely flat.

The Problem

When lying flat on your back, your lower back is pulled upward, causing increased muscle tension in the lumbar region. This muscle tension can lead to pain, depending on the elasticity of your muscles. The reason this doesn’t happen when we lie on our side is that we automatically draw our legs up, which relaxes precisely these muscle groups.

At night, however, the body lies flat on its back because there is usually no corresponding elevation of the thighs in bed. Since far fewer relaxation movements are made during sleep, the muscle tension leads to pain signals. These, in turn, increase the tension—a vicious cycle. This is responsible for many cases of back pain in the morning. Even when lying on your side, a slight elevation of the thighs up to the knees makes sense: Since the knees are narrower than the pelvis, the legs pull downward in the side position and tilt the pelvis. This movement also affects the spine, especially in the lower lumbar region, leading to compensatory tension in the corresponding muscles. Proper leg support is essential for restful sleep on your back and relieves pressure on the back muscles when lying on your side.

Tips:

• If you experience regular back pain, avoid sleeping on your back.
• If you sleep on your back, use a neck roll or a pillow under your knees.
• If your slatted frame has a foot elevation feature, you can raise it one notch.
• With high-quality slatted frames, you can slightly raise both the knee and back sections, which largely prevents tension-related issues.
• By relaxing in a recliner, you prevent falling asleep with tense back muscles.
• By stretching your core muscles, you relax your back. This has a positive effect on rest and recovery.