Submitted by: Jackie Waters jackie@hyper-tidy.com
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Back to Bed: How to Get Better Sleep With Back Pain
Chronic back pain can take away many of life’s joys, from participating in family activities to failing to get a good night’s sleep. Lack of good rest can leave you feeling irritable, groggy, and unable to focus the next day, which can have an effect on your performance at work or school. It can even endanger you when you drive. This cycle can be hard to break, even when you feel you’ve tried everything where pain management is concerned, and can lead to anxiety or depression due to a feeling of helplessness.
Fortunately, there are several things you can do to get better rest even when you’re dealing with back pain every day. The key is to make sure you’re taking good care of your body and mind, as your physical and mental wellness are linked. The more you can do to find a well-balanced routine — such as making sure your diet and exercise plans are right for you — the better able you’ll be to relax at night and get comfortable. Read on for some great tips on how to sleep even with back pain from the experts at St. George Physical Therapy.
Eat right
Eating right can help relieve joint pain and inflammation, which can in turn help to ease back pain. While the right diet is a very personal formula, it can’t hurt to add a few things that might help you sleep better, such as ginger, bone broth, vitamin C-heavy foods like oranges and mangoes, and cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts. When your joints are healthy, you can alleviate pain much more easily.
Exercise daily
It’s not always easy to find time to work out, but doing so can significantly improve your sleep at night and may even help with your back pain at the same time. Work is a good place to find opportunities to move, such as taking the stairs and standing during meetings. If you have a back injury, talk to your doctor before making any changes to your routine. Stretches, however, are generally advisable for most types of back issues and can help you relax at night if you do them before bed. Depending on your back problem, you may need to try a few different kinds of exercises before you find the ones that work best for you.
Reduce stress
Stress can have a negative effect on your physicality and can wreak havoc on your ability to get to sleep at night, so it’s a good idea to do what you can to ease those feelings as much as possible. Make sure you keep your home a healthy space. Get organized, figure out the best ways to separate your work and home lives, and take time for yourself every day. Even if it’s only for half an hour, as long as you’re doing something you enjoy, it will greatly benefit you when it comes to relieving stress.
Maintain a bedtime routine
Having a regular bedtime routine is a great way to facilitate a good night’s rest, especially if you incorporate ways to induce relaxation. Before bed, try herbal teas that can soothe the mind and body, as will a warm bath or shower. A handheld massage tool can help loosen tight muscles to help you relax. A pillow mist or diffuser that uses lavender essential oil will also trigger the body’s response to sleep.
Get comfortable
Having comfortable bedding and a room that meets all your needs is imperative when it comes to sleeping well. Back issues can make finding comfort difficult, but it’s not impossible. The key is to get the right mattress. Shop around to find the one that will best accommodate you according to what kind of sleeper you are. If you get hot at night or tend to sleep in one position, for instance, the right mattress can help you stay comfy for hours on end.
Getting good sleep when you’re in pain can feel like an impossible task, but with a few simple lifestyle changes and investments to your comfort, you can help to reduce those feelings and get the rest you need. Remember to talk to your doctor before making any big changes, especially if you have an existing injury.
This article is brought to you by St. George Physical Therapy, where our therapists are skilled in treating orthopedic and neurologic diagnoses, sports injuries, chronic pain, balance, and mobility changes as well as a variety of other conditions. We also provide multiple types of treatment: including therapeutic exercise, isokinetic exercise and testing, work hardening, work tolerance testing, manual therapy, and pain relief modalities. For more information, please contact us today!