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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.

There are temporary reasons for back pain. An example is a pregnant woman. Her back pain can be because of so much extra weight around her mid- section during the day. The same thing can happen from being overweight. Other reasons could be improper carrying to one side, anything from a heavy purse to a child riding on the hip, improper sitting, sitting while leaning and peering at a computer screen. The list goes on, because of our more sedentary lives.

If the pills do not help you, on the next visit when you see your doctor, he or she will probably tell you to go to a physical therapist. If you are still in pain, when you go back to your doctor again, then you may get to have X-rays or MRIs to figure the actual diagnosis and exactly what is wrong. If you are diagnosed with a herniated disc or degenerative disc disease, you may be referred to an orthopedic specialist or a neurologist. At that point, they could recommend having an injection (epidural) which may help short-term: two months, two weeks, two days, or not at all.

Initially, many doctors hesitate to put too much time into diagnosing and just list your pain as “nonspecific” back pain. After the X-rays or MRIs are read, then you find out what your problem is during your next visit to the doctor. Should you have a condition such as a herniated disc or degenerative disc, or others such as spinal stenosis and facet syndrome, you most likely will be scheduled for a visit to a specialist – an orthopedic or a neurologist. At that point, it may be time for a spinal epidural, which most likely will not help for any length of time, or may not help at all. Or, surgery may be recommended.

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”.

Want to find out more about sleep disorders and back pain#1, then visit Dr. Richard E. Busch III’s site on why you have back pain keyword #2 and what you can do.

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