Sore back with CPAP?

tsolanto wrote: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.

Call your doctor.

Back pain is weird. There are so many potential causes and so many things can act together to cause muscles to spasm. It may or may not have to do with your CPAP--correlation is not causation.

In general, the best thing to do is make sure you have good strong core muscles. So do exercises that strengthen your core and other exercises that stretch and help you relax you neck and back muscles. You can find all sorts on the internet. Pushups. Planks. Pullups. Various yoga and pilates stretches help with relaxing the shoulders and neck. Here is a very simple one that won't hurt you even if you are in pain: http://pilates.about.com/od/pilatesmat/ ... -Folds.htm

Right now I am in a bad place with a spasm in my upper back. I think the cause is a combination of tension and too much distance bike riding. I am taking some days off of riding to do simple stretching and work on my core strength.

I have back pain since using CPAP, so I was curious to see if others have as well. My pain is across the middle of my back, quite excruciating at times, never going away. Last night I tried turning my exhale pressure down, which I can do since I'm using a C-Flex. This morning my back feels much better for the first time in months. So, I wanted to jump in here to suggest that you all might try turning down the exhale pressure, if you can. I don't know if that will help, but it seemed to for me last night.

Odd this topic got resurrected right around a time when I've been experiencing lower back pain every morning which usually subsides within an hour or two of being up and moving around. I also work a sedentary job which doesn't help matters.

I have a Comfort Select bed and will have to check my settings - I seen earlier in this thread that 45 was suggested.

Guessing it's from being in one position for too long of the night. I should probably try to start exercising.

This is one topic I didn't bring up back in August when I started on CPAP therapy. I had a really stiff upper back when I woke up. It started to subside a bit after a couple of weeks. I also had some lower back stiffness as well. I ended up getting new pillows, which helped, but reading this thread, I think it was more a combination of getting used to the new way of breathing, along with the fact that I was not moving near as much during the night. I will have to try more stretching before bed to see if that makes a difference.

John

OK, I don't think anyone mentioned this possible cause. How long is your hose? I had back & side (rib) pain years ago when I first started CPAP therapy. DME gave me extra hose & connector. To this day I use extra hose, cannot use just a 6' hose since it does not allow me to move at nite (at all). Extra hose solved my problem.
Hope something works for you.
Jen

I have been having this problem for the last few weeks, but I'm pretty sure it was because I was traveling and sleeping in beds that I am not used to.

Before cpap, I would toss and turn a lot, so I didn't get stiff. Since cpap, I don't move much. Not a big deal when I am at home and comfortable. But I sleep in a waterbed at home, the kind that moves fully, and has rails along the edges. In other words, you can sleep right at the edge, and not fall off (or out). You have to make an effort to get out of bed.

So, while traveling, I had a really hard time gettng comfortable. I am used to sleeping right at the edge of the bed. Often facing the center, with my back right up against the rail. And one leg against the rail. In the various hotel rooms, I did not have this option. I think I was tense and uncomfortable. The back pain started about a week and a half into the trip. It only hurt in bed and cleared up within half an hour to an hour of being awake. I started sleeping on an ice pack. And using a muscle relaxer.

Once home, it stopped after 2 days. Then I went for a one night trip. Started right up again and took longer to go away. It stopped again, but I will be in a hotel tomorrow night and again the next Friday night. I will go armed with my muscle relaxers.

I am learning how to sleep all over again.

Wow, a waterbed! I thought I was the only person on the planet who still had and loved a waterbed. Mine has rails, but is waveless, with a bedsack around the bladder part. I love the full wave, but I had to go waveless for my hubby. Sounds like sleeping on "hard' (what I call all waterless beds) was your problem. I always have back pain when traveling, it goes away when I'm back to the waterbed.
Jen

My Back is so sore, i was walking ok before, i went on the CPAP Machine but now just a short walk is killing my back and legs , everyone wants to tell me i need to lose weight but i was the same size before i went on the machine 8 weeks ago and could walk miles and be ok now 20 yards is starting to hurt me im feeling lost and dont know which way to turn ,i have serious SA i stop breathing longer than 10 seconds 1000 in an 8 hour sleep now im so much better because of the machine but this pain is killing and im on Warfaring 6mg a night because of a mechanical valve its been great to read im not the onlt one

If you're deliberately lying in one rigid position all night because you think you're supposed to if wearing Cpap, stop doing that because your idea is wrong. Even if they made you lie on your back for the study, it was to get a record of how many apneas you had in that position, but it absolutely does not mean you should otherwise do it now. And if your mask has big leaks unless you stay in one place, get another mask, another size, a better fitting, but don't make yourself lie like a statue all night. And if none of this applies, see a doctor about your back - not everything's about Cpap.