please help with back and lower back pain

[ciounoi]

Hi-

Several of my last few posts have dealt with problems sleeping because of pain in my back and neck. I'm really not sure what to do about this and I'm feeling pretty desperate. My original problem was that my pillow seemed too high and my neck felt cramped (I am petite and have a very short neck). So I changed my pillow and that did not help. I also thought that my mattress probably contributed so I got a new mattress... which seemed to help for a great week, and then stopped helping. I also bought a MedSlant pillow on the advice of some of the forum posters and tried it out last night. The pillow was (again!) too high for me and was as hard as a rock. It was fine if I wanted to sleep on my back, but I am a side sleeper, so it wasn't working. Giving up on that I went back to the previous pillow I had which was livable, not great, and then THAT felt too high, so I ended up sleeping on my stomach with no pillow for the rest of the night, waking up every two hours (I never sleep on my stomach). Is there anything I can do? Is the problem perhaps with my neck or back and not with my bed arrangement? Can anyone help please so I can get some sleep?

-Grace

[calamityjane403]

Have you tried a massage? I have chronic neck and jaw pain from an accident and if it wasn't for my weekly torture, oops I mean massage , sessions I would not get any sleep at all.

[Julie]

Have you seen a doctor who specializes in back problems (orthopedist or neurologist - not a chiropractor)? It seems the sensible place to start, rather than getting tips off the internet from strangers here.

[ciounoi]

Thanks for the encouraging words. I will look elsewhere and not bother strangers on the internet with my petulant worries.

[BlackSpinner]

Thanks for the encouraging words. I will look elsewhere and not bother strangers on the internet with my petulant worries.

I beg your pardon?

Three people answered you. With good advice.

You tried everything that everyone suggested before so, yes, you should see a medical person and not ask to diagnosed unseen by people with no medical degrees.

[kteague]

Thanks for the encouraging words. I will look elsewhere and not bother strangers on the internet with my petulant worries.

Whoaaaa. I too was going to suggest you see a doctor, but not because we're strangers or your worries aren't important. I too have back issues, and the experience of others has had a place in helping me find relief. However, an accurate diagnosis makes all the difference in the effectiveness of any efforts. Some things need physical therapy or other intervention. I have bulging disks in my neck. Positioning is critical to relief. I have inflammation in my lower back. While positioning plays a role, it took steroid injections to address the inflammation and get some relief. A suggestion to see a doctor is saying that trial and error might not yield relief and result is prolonged suffering, maybe unnecessarily. Others can only tell you what helped them, which may not help you.

Hope you find relief.

Kathy

[Tielman]

... pain in my back and neck.

Go see a Doctor and rule out Arthritis, I have it in my neck (my x-rays look nasty, my vertebra look like diamonds turned on their side instead of squares].

It can at time cause intense pain in the upper neck, shoulders, and middle back.

[DreamOn]

I sent you a PM, Grace.

[SingleMom]

I have very mild scoliosis and physical therapy has help a TON with my sleeping pain.

[SaltLakeJan]

You did sound a little testy in your reply . . However most of us on the forum has other aches, pains or problems and we understand. Pain and a lack of sleep can make anyone feel their problems have not been addressed.

I have a bad back & neck, spinal stenosis in my entire back and bulging discs in my neck . . . I use two down pillows and manage to scrunch them into a support for my neck as I sleep on my side. I have a portion of one pillo supporting the back of my neck . . It is hard to find the right kind of support for your neck andd back. I wish you success.

Jan

[KatieW]

Back pain is a pretty common complaint, even for people don't use cpap. If you want to read previous discussions, do a search under "back + Pain" Here's one recent thread:

viewtopic/t48545/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=48 ... in#p436712

I have lumbar scoliosis and arthritis in my neck and lumbar spine, but am able to manage it with daily yoga and walking. Plus I have found that since I am getting good restorative sleep now, I am not as stiff and sore in the morning as I used to be, before cpap therapy.

I agree that pillows and mattress are important for proper alignment and support while you sleep, but equally important is how you conduct your daily activities--sitting, driving, etc. If everything you have already tried has not helped, then I think a medical diagnosis, then physical therapy exercises to lengthen and strengthen the necessary muscles would be helpful.

[secret agent girl]

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[Guest]

Use a blanket for a pillow. You can make it as thick or thin as you want.