What Can You Do About Sleep Disorders Due To Back Pain?

Have you been up most of the night because of your back pain? Are you desperate for a decent night of sleep? Back pain can cause you to have insomnia. Many patients I have were suffering from this problem. Many patients I personally have treated used to try everything and had bought many products, in the hope they could be comfortable enough to sleep. They were actually praying to be able to sleep, but they could not because their sleep was interrupted because of their back. Some told me they felt like “Goldilocks” because they slept in all the beds in their house. Patients have also told me they had been sleeping on their couches or in their recliners for years, instead of sleeping in their beds. Sadly, they had not been able sleep with their spouses, for years, because of their back pain.

It is not uncommon for back pain to drive a patient to sleep in the recliner or on the couch propped up with pillows, just to get some pain relief. It is common for some to sleep on the floor next to their bed, put boards under their mattress, or purchase all different types of pillows: hard, soft, contour, and memory. Putting a body-pillow between the knees is a method many of my patients had tried. Sufferers that have tried everything are desperate and are praying they can just sleep.

Some back pain may resolve in a short time, and there can be temporary reasons for the pain. However, it can be a more serious problem, if the symptoms persist. Back pain and interrupted sleep can become a cycle, even though back sufferers try so hard to get some sleep. Many of my patients told me they had slept in every bed in the house, just like Goldilocks. Because they cannot sleep, they keep their spouses awake by tossing, turning and having the television on, or playing soothing music. While they are surfing late-night television, it is common that they watch infomercials and buy things such as inversion tables, aids for sleeping, diet, or exercise programs; all for the hope of pain relief and sleep.

If you are suffering with back pain to point you are not able sleep, then you should see a doctor. Sleep loss and back pain affect your whole life, and you need to find out the cause. It is normal to be given pain pills, anti-inflammatory medications, and muscle relaxants when you first go to see a doctor for back pain. In the beginning, many doctors do not want to take too much time examining you, and they may give you a diagnosis of “nonspecific” back pain.

It is miserable not being able to sleep because of back pain; your nights can be agonizingly long. When the pain is so bad that it affects you day and night, you need to get to your doctor. However, this may be the beginning of what I call the “Medical Pipeline”. There can many visits before you may have an actual diagnosis, because there are standard guidelines that doctors tend to follow.

First visit, you could get pain pills and muscle relaxants, and you will have a “nonspecific” back pain diagnosis. If the pills do not help, on the second visit, you may be sent to physical therapy. If that does not help, on your third visit, the doctor may order X-rays or MRIs and direct you to a specialist (an orthopedic or neurologist). If you have a problem such a herniated disc, degenerative disc, spinal stenosis or facet syndrome, the doctor will probably have you get an epidural. This is a temporary pain blocker and may last a while or only a few days, if at all.

There may come a point, where your specialist recommends back surgery. Some surgeries are successful – while others are not, and without saying, these patients are extremely disappointed. If you need to continue to take pain medications long-term, then you will be under the care of a pain specialist. At this point, you would have a diagnosis of “failed surgery syndrome”.

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