Sore back with CPAP?

I was so happy to see this because I've noticed an increase in my lower back pain. I usually have some degree of it off & on because. I do get exercise about 3-4 times a week, so I'm not sedentary, even if I'm overweight (borderline obese).

I'm going to try an Advil before bed. I know I can't do this all the time, but I'll see if it helps.

jimhopp wrote:Ok I just woke up slept the whole night without pain this is the second time in over a year, 2 nights in a row! I took one Prescription Naproxin(500mg) a Chelated Magnesium Tablet(aids in sleep) And a vitamin E capsule(aids in circulation) somehow this seems to be the cure(treatment for upper back pain between the shoulder blades! Tonight I will try it with out the Naproxin, just using the vitamins to see if that works. This way I'm not taking any unessessary drugs. It seem to me I've tried this before just with the naproxin and there wasn't any relief. I'm so damn exited! I'll keep you all posted!

Is it still working?

I read the whole thread ... I still can't find solution for my HORRIBLE morning back pain right between my shoulder blades, stiff ache type pain. Been on CPAP about 1 month. Hope this goes away. Urrrgggg

[quote="ENVI23"]I too have had back pain with my Cpap.


EnvI23: I have been on Cpap for 5 years now and I love it to solve my Apnea problems but.... I have had the exact pain in my back you describe for the entire time. I was getting Botox in the cramped muscles (8 of them) to relax them so everything was OK. Now the insurance won't pay for the Botox and I am back at square one. My pain ranges from wanting to scream to non existant on some days. I would be interested in knowing what you find out. Although the doctors have treated my symptoms, they've never known a cause. I now truely believe (it seems I know) it is my muscles getting too much oxygen/air, like hyperventilating causes cramped muscles. It has also recentl gotten much worse again, I have lost 43# which may be the result of even more too much air. PS: I have had cloudy vision on days too but had Lasik so have blamed that onto it.

I had some sore back and back/shoulder/neck spasm history as a result of sleeping in a supine position.
I did that in order to accommodate the mask.

For me this problem lessened when I figured out how to sleep on my side with the mask on. It involved using a buckwheat neck pillow which rests under my neck instead of my head.

I can sleep on my sides now, which is a much more natural position for me.

Hope your back soreness dissipates.

I had similar lower back pain with pressures above 15cm.

I've had the exact same problem now for about 6 months and I am convinced it is due to sleeping on my back all night with a wedge pillow and contour pillow under my head. I literally don't move a muscle during the entire night and it is surely taking a toll on my back. I have an appt. (again) with my ortho. doc in about 3 weeks. He says it is a muscle spasm that has created a knoting type effect in the muscles and surrounding facia (sp?). Whatever it is it is miserable. Mine has created problems even during the day. I've have experimented with changing my pressure several times but nothing gives me long term relief. I need a chiropractor but I have osteoporosis and am afraid to venture into that treatment. I can't take NSAID type meds due to my GERD situation and hiatal hernia, so I use heat and self massage and limited exercise. Any suggestions would be GREAT!!! GG

I get lower back pain because i tend to not move as much with the hose on, I do roll to my sides at times to ease that over the course of the evening. It could be as was mentioned that you have tension from the newness of it all. If that is true hopefully that will pass and you will rest more comfortably soon.
Good luck

I had back and neck paid when I first started cpap. I purchased a buckwheat pillow and started paying attention to my head position/body position. I was used to sleeping more on the side leaning toward the front of my body. When I started cpap, I kept my body in that position buy my head had to stay squarely on its side due to my mask exhaust. After I switched pillows and started sleeping squarely on my side, pulling up my knees, my pain stopped.

I had back and neck paid when I first started cpap. I purchased a buckwheat pillow and started paying attention to my head position/body position. I was used to sleeping more on the side leaning toward the front of my body. When I started cpap, I kept my body in that position buy my head had to stay squarely on its side due to my mask exhaust. After I switched pillows and started sleeping squarely on my side, pulling up my knees, my pain stopped.

I'm glad to hear that the buckwheat hull pillow works for you, as it did for me too

I use the Swift LT for Her, and because my pillow is only a neck roll, I can fall asleep on my side and roll over without the pillow pushing the mask off.

I have enough problems with leakage, and a night time leak after I've fallen asleep pretty much cancels out the benefits for me

Thanks for the tip about pulling up your knees

Well, I guess I join the gang here too.

When I went into hospital in June and spent pretty much the month on life support I did not move at all. They had me in one of those modern high tech beds that moves your limbs and vibrates to prevent bed sores, etc. The morphine helped too I guess. The long and short of it is that my spine seems to have decompressed somewhat and I am left with the arthritis in the hip and lower spine and feet. Wow.

I have gone from Oxycontin (STAY AWAY!) to Oxycocet (Percocet) to Tylenol 3 to Tylenol 2 and next month or so I will go to Tylenols and am having my kidney function and drug interactions closely monitored about every two weeks. Going from narcotin pain meds to Tylenol or Ibuprofen (worse) creates issues with your liver and drug interactions. Be aware. Also be aware that it is the toughest thing in the world weaning yourself off Oxycontin, which is TEN TIMES more addictive than heroin. It should be used for terminally ill pateients ONLY. Go figure.

So here I am with CPAP. I am sleeping soundly most nights (not all) and as a result I don't move which is not great for the joints. I have taken to setting my blackberry for halfway through the night so that I am certain to hear it and roll over at least once and that helps some. I also find that if I have caught up on sleep debt I tend not to sleep quite as immobile and move about a bit from time to time and that helps even more. GET YOUR SLEEP!

I am a side sleeper and simply scrunch up my pillow to allow for the exhaust; I use a hose management system and the hose hangs from above my head so that I don't have to worry about it during the night when I do roll over. No tangles. I also find that placing a pillow between my knees helps a lot when back pain strikes; or hip pain. Don't know why but it makes a huge difference.

We have also invested in a top quality mattress that spreads out the pressure points so that there are very few significant pressure points that will cause pain. This is also important. A lumpy mattress is going to cause grief and if you cannot afford a top quality mattress wait for one of those pay me over two year sales without interest and make sure you bring in an ad from the competition for the same mattress so they will price match instead of hosing you (pardon the pun). Jeez, what a difference the new mattress makes! Ditto the new pillows and a nice fluffy light comforter. We crank the heat down so the room is about 66 F or so and we sleep much better until the heat cranks itself on at 7 a.m. No need for an alarm clock. The heat going up 5 degrees wakes me up instantly.

Watch for rainout and deal with it appropriately and you will be sleeping better before you know it.

Oh. We also do not eat for at least two hours before going to bed nor do we drink... and we pay a visit just before retiring. Makes a huge difference not having one's innards processing food while sleeping. That tip came from lots of places including rehab.

Keep at it and the perfect night of sleep will be yours before you know it.

I have backpain from sleeping in the same position all night. What helps the most for me is a pillow between my legs and adjusting the height of the pillows under my head. I only wake up from it now once in a while, where I used to every single night.

I've been "on CPAP" for my first time, almost 2 months now. I also developed a sore back, soon after starting. A lttle hard to say that it wasn't also due to an actual back injury, because here in So. Caifornia of all places, I slipped on some ICE on our front porch steps and bounced down all 5 steps to the sidewalk! This was within a few days of starting CPAP therapy.

That being said, as a possible additional cause of back pain, for myself, I am thoroughly convinced that the back pain is significantly attributable to a new way of breathing! I am sure that I am using back muscles in breathing, using my CPAP machine, that I have never used similarly before. With CPAP I know that, at least while I am falling asleep, I am taking MUCH deeper breaths/inhalations than I had before. That coupled with exhaling against incoming CPAP air pressure (even though it is attenuated to a degree by C-Flex or EPR/Easy Breathe) throughout the night, I believe has a LOT to do with the back stiffness. I was always a mouth breather awake and while sleeping and now notice that for the most part, even while awake and active, I find myself nose breathing, as if I'm on my machine, and taking deeper breaths day and night through my nose, which has to require a bit more muscular effort pulling air through and out of my nostrils, rather than the big passageway of my big open mouth.

I could be wrong, but it seems to be such a common complaint among new users, that I thought I'd share my "guess" as to the "cause".....

Baris TISLI wrote:Hi from Turkey. I just want you to know that you are not the only one who has a upper back pain during CPAP treatment. I think it is about the air in the stomach and the muscle's extra work (spasm) to manage the air inside..

Edit: Ok all you gotta do is lower your pillow hight or use no pillow. The pain will disapear. Guaranteed! (I called the helpline an the cpap advisor told me so)

My pain is extreme, almost to the point of tears. I don't like the idea of taking motrin every night before bed. It can't be too good for you over time. There must be a way to stop this. I don't know what is worse. The back pain or the apnea. Actually the apnea is, at least I can stay awake all day.