Why does my back hurt when I lie down. Back pain while sitting

One of the problems that is a common reason for visiting a doctor is dizziness. Associated symptoms and causes of the disorder can be varied. It is important to understand in time why you feel dizzy when you lie down in order to avoid serious consequences. To do this, you need to understand what constitutes a violation and how to deal with it.I would like to consider the main causes of dizziness and why they can occur.


When the head is spinning, there is a feeling of rotation of surrounding objects, their instability and unsteadiness.

It is very important to distinguish the situational feature of the state of the head from unhealthy whirling.

  1. It is quite normal when the head is spinning after sharp turns, movements. Often this manifests itself after a fast ride, riding a carousel, swing. The vestibular apparatus, which is located in the ear, is not able to capture and process information received by the eyes. As a result, the nerve impulses entering the brain are not processed, and the coordination of the body is disturbed. A short-term dizziness develops.
  2. Frequent strong stresses, experiences, worries lead to the fact that there is an increased release of adrenaline (a hormone produced by the adrenal glands) into the blood. Vessels narrow, oxygen deficiency develops.
  3. Starvation causes insufficient glucose intake.
  4. Pregnancy brings physiological and hormonal changes, and mild dizziness is considered normal.
  5. Decrease or increase in blood pressure.
  6. Lack of vitamins and minerals.

All these cases are the body's response to circumstances. After some time, the condition returns to normal.

Sometimes you can confuse dizziness and other unpleasant symptoms in the head with other diseases. Visual disturbance, which is accompanied by the appearance of flies, threads, veils, does not belong to the true causes of circling. If there is a feeling of instability, movement of everything around, including one's own body, we are talking about diseases of the vestibular analyzer.


Dizziness by itself is not a diagnosis. It is considered a harbinger of some disturbance in the work of internal organs. Very often, if a person feels dizzy when going to bed, other symptoms are also present.

  1. Noise, ringing in the ears.
  2. Severe pain in the head.
  3. There is nausea, vomiting.
  4. Weakness.
  5. Seizures may occur.
  6. Pre-fainting or loss of consciousness.
  7. Double vision.
  8. Decreased visual acuity and hearing.

In the morning, when you get out of bed, your head should not be spinning. During the night, the body rests and returns to normal. Otherwise, it is a sign of pathological processes in the body.

It is important for myself to note exactly when the problems begin: when I lie down or get up, in the morning or evening, how long the attack lasts, how often dizziness occurs. All this information will be useful for the doctor to make a diagnosis.


The fact that the head is spinning when the position of the body changes should be alert. The moment you stand up, sit down, tilt your head, turn around.

The first step in the appearance of violations is a visit to the therapist. It is he who gives recommendations on further tactics. You may need to consult a neurologist, ophthalmologist, ENT, cardiologist.

There are several reasons why your head spins when you lie down. All of them indicate diseases of internal organs or entire systems.

  1. Diseases of the vestibular apparatus (neuritis). Dizziness appears after sleep, often accompanied by vomiting, cold sweat, sometimes the body temperature may rise.
  2. Osteochondrosis of the cervical region. When the artery is compressed, blood flow to the brain is reduced. When you change the position of the body, the artery can be pinched even more, and the symptoms become more pronounced.
  3. Hypotension. Low blood pressure causes fluid in the inner ear to move improperly, causing dizziness, pain, and nausea.
  4. Tumor formations. When you go to bed, your head starts to spin, severe pain appears and hearing decreases.
  5. Vegetovascular dystonia. With this disease, there is a violation in the work of the nervous and circulatory system. Vessels begin to function incorrectly in response to a change in body position.
  6. Hernias of the spine. When you turn on your side or back, a sharp attack of dizziness occurs.
  7. Inflammatory diseases of the nasopharynx. Edema, mucus begins to put pressure on the internal organs, not only in an upright position, but also lying down and when the head is tilted down.
  8. Echoes of old traumas, such as a concussion.

Factors such as infections, multiple sclerosis, mental disorders, anemia, diabetes, and a side effect of taking medications can provoke a problem. Some antihistamines, antibiotics, sleeping pills, and tranquilizers can cause dizziness.

If the attack does not go away for a long time, you should immediately call an ambulance. In this case, you do not need to do anything on your own.


Drug treatment is prescribed only by a doctor based on the data of additional examinations.

Preventive measures necessary to resolve the problem:

  • after waking up, do not make sudden movements, lie down a little, turn first to one side;
  • in the first days of viral diseases, bed rest is indicated; the disease cannot be carried on the legs;
  • distribute the correct mode of work and rest;
  • frequent exposure to fresh air;
  • ensure healthy and long sleep;
  • you can not follow strict diets;
  • do gymnastics.

As a first aid in the event of an attack of dizziness, you can try to do some exercises.

  1. Respiratory gymnastics helps to bring vascular tone back to normal. Slowly inhale air through your mouth, inflating your stomach. On exhalation, the stomach must be pulled in.
  2. Put your hand on the object and look at it throughout the attack.
  3. Massage the point between the eyes.
  4. Helps light massage in circular motions, head, face, neck.

Attentive attitude to your health and timely access to a doctor reduces the risk of complications. You can not take any medications on your own, as you can aggravate the situation. Establishing a diagnosis and following the doctor's recommendations greatly facilitates the patient's life.

Dizziness is a very unpleasant symptom, the appearance of which should not be ignored, it develops as a result of a malfunction in the system responsible for the orientation of our body in space. Very often, patients at the doctor's office complain: "I feel dizzy when I lie on my back."

Causes of dizziness

  1. Diseases of the inner ear (various inflammatory processes, atherosclerosis, circulatory disorders, malfunctions of the vestibular organs).
  2. Changes in the process of transmission of impulses to the brain, as a result of alcohol or nicotine poisoning. Also due to injury.
  3. Incorrect processing of incoming impulses by the central nervous system, provoked by ischemia, intoxication, the consequences of trauma, and a failure in the delivery of nutrients to nerve cells.

The most common situations requiring medical examination

Dizziness is not an independent disease, but rather its harbinger. You should immediately consult a doctor if you have:

  • Head spinning combined with tinnitus.
  • Severe headaches with partial or complete hearing loss.
  • Against the background of dizziness, nausea and vomiting begin.
  • If you experience a fainting state when you turn your head sharply.
  • Dizziness ends with loss of consciousness.
  • Double vision, weakness of the limbs, impaired sensitivity.

Diseases accompanied by dizziness

The causes of dizziness in the supine position are very diverse, but the most common is circulatory failure in the brain. This violation provokes a number of neurological and internal diseases. Among them:

Osteochondrosis in the cervical spine leads to squeezing of the artery, and, accordingly, blood circulation and nutrition of the brain suffer. Dizziness can be almost constant, leading to blackouts, loss of orientation in space, and sometimes to fainting. You can help in such a situation by laying the patient down with his head down. Osteochondrosis is the most common cause of dizziness in the supine position.

It is necessary to address to the neuropathologist and to pass or take place inspection. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, physiotherapy, massage, special gymnastics and diet are prescribed.

Insufficient supply of oxygen to the brain and nutrients as a result of hypotension (low blood pressure). It is necessary to consult a therapist, he will prescribe drugs that normalize vascular tone and general strengthening therapy (vitamins).

Inflammatory diseases of the vestibular nerve characterized by a sudden onset of severe circling of the head, which disappears after sleep. This problem is dealt with by an otolaryngologist (ENT). The examination must necessarily include computed tomography to rule out stem stroke, the manifestations of these diseases are very similar. Treatment is aimed at eliminating dizziness, stopping vomiting and nausea, and anti-inflammatory drugs are also used.

Vegetovascular dystonia with its inadequate reaction of the vessels, they either narrow, raising the pressure, or expand, losing their tone. Due to improper operation, cerebral circulation suffers, and dizziness may appear accordingly. The neurologist will prescribe medications that normalize vascular tone, recommend observing the daily routine, having a good rest, spending more time in the fresh air and doing physical education.

Swelling of the canals of the labyrinth of the inner ear caused by inflammation of the nasopharynx. You will need a visit to the ENT doctor and appropriate anti-inflammatory and blood circulation-improving treatment.

Spinal hernia, can proceed completely painlessly and will be detected only during a medical examination. Their treatment can be conservative (medication, special exercises, physiotherapy, etc.), as well as operational. The principle of treatment is determined after a thorough medical examination and depends on the severity of the patient's condition, location and number of hernias.

Tumor processes in the brain. Their sign may be dizziness with hearing loss on the affected side. Tumors are also The sooner the patient seeks medical help, the greater the chance of successful completion of treatment. You have to visit an oncologist.

Prevention of recurrence of dizziness

  1. Learn to do without sudden movements. Make smooth turns in bed. Do not jump up abruptly in the morning, turn on your side and stand up smoothly.
  2. Get quality deep sleep.
  3. Be outdoors more.
  4. Go in for sports (running, walking, swimming, morning exercises, etc.). Physical activity strengthens vascular tone, improves blood circulation, and forms a sufficient muscle corset.
  5. Don't go on restrictive diets. Lack of nutrients in the body is dangerous to health.
  6. Timely cure inflammation in the nasopharynx.

Be sure to undergo a medical examination to find out the cause of dizziness in the supine position. Take good care of your health.

Single episodes do not pose a danger to the human body, but if they are regularly repeated when turning or tilting the head, changing body position (turning in bed, getting up in the morning and going to bed in the evening), you cannot do without going to the doctor, treatment will significantly improve the quality of life .

Self help for dizziness

  1. Try to calm down, panic makes things even worse.
  2. Stay still and focus all your attention on one subject.
  3. Inhale deeply and inflate your stomach, then exhale as much as you can.
  4. Give yourself a head and neck massage.
  5. Sit back and relax if you can.

Often, with a long stay in a sitting position, a person notices that his back begins to hurt.

Moreover, the pain is concentrated mainly in the lumbar region. There are many reasons for this. But the main reason is the sedentary lifestyle that is inherent in modern people.

Why do back pains appear

A person, completely unaware, overloads his spine too much. The structure of the human body is such that the least load on the spinal column will be in the prone position. The greatest pressure on the vertebrae occurs when a person is in a sitting position in a chair without back support. And if you sit and stoop your back, then the load almost doubles.
There are several factors that affect the appearance of pain:

  • long sitting in one position at the workplace;
  • physical activity at work or when playing sports;
  • unnaturally bent body position for a long time, for example, among rural workers;
  • pregnancy;
  • excess weight.

Soreness can occur only in a sitting position or be constant, and increase in a sitting position.

Causes of pain

Painful feelings in the back have a different origin, depending on which there is a division into two groups:

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  1. This includes everything related to the vertebrae, discs between them, muscles, their surroundings, ligaments and tendons. In this group, pain is called primary.
  2. Includes spinal injuries, neoplastic and infectious diseases, osteoporosis, diseases of internal organs. These pains are called secondary.

Massage helps temporarily relieve back pain

What diseases cause back pain?

Primary pain causes the following diseases:

  • lumbar osteochondrosis;
  • intervertebral hernia;
  • protrusion of the intervertebral discs;
  • spondylarthrosis, as well as spondylosis and spondylolisthesis.

In most cases, the cause of a sore back is osteochondrosis. It brings with it a whole bunch of disorders, from which it not only hurts the back in a sitting or standing position, but also loses the sensitivity of some parts of the body below the waist or reflexes in the tendons of the legs.
For secondary pain, the causes are such problems in the body:

  • traumatic fracture of the spine or after osteoporosis;
  • tumor process in the spinal canal;
  • arthritis of rheumatic or psoriatic origin;
  • spinal tuberculosis;
  • osteomyelitis, discitis;
  • inflammation of the kidneys as a result of infection or stone formation;
  • complicated pregnancy;
  • ovarian cancer or cyst, endometriosis.

Diagnosis of back pain

Few people pay attention to the first signs of the disease. It is believed that it is worth warming up a little and the discomfort will pass. Even when he starts shooting in the lower back or the pain sensation does not go away for a long time, the person does not go to the doctor, but proceeds to self-treatment. Rubbing, ointments and warming up help for a while. However, considering what diseases cause pain in the lower back, you can understand that you should not waste time with normal treatment.
An accurate diagnosis can only be made by a medical specialist. He will do this after a thorough examination. The first doctor to contact is a general practitioner. He will determine whether internal diseases are the cause of pain, whether there are pathologies in the genitals, kidneys, intestines or on the spine. The patient will be asked to undergo X-ray, MRI, and ultrasound. If the cause is not in the internal organs, then the neurologist will treat it.

If you have persistent back pain while sitting, you should consult a doctor.

Treatment

Therapeutic measures will be carried out depending on the results of the examination. For severe pain, anti-inflammatory drugs are used in combination with painkillers. Perhaps the use of novocaine blockade. Muscle spasms are relieved with muscle relaxants, and angioprotectors are prescribed to improve blood circulation.
In mild cases, you can get by with massage or manual therapy. But for some categories of patients, such methods cannot be prescribed. These are pregnant women and the elderly. There is a variant of careful exposure of the hands to the muscles and ligaments near the spine. It's called structural osteopathy.
When the acute process is removed, physiotherapy sessions are prescribed:

  • laser;
  • shock wave;
  • magnetic;
  • mud treatment.

When to See a Doctor

If the pain symptoms do not go away for three days or more, or there is a simultaneous spread of pain to the leg, then the help of a doctor is necessary. Pain that occurs after an injury should be examined in a medical institution, as well as if it hurts in the lower back and is combined with numbness in the lower torso.

How to deal with back pain

It happens that the disease takes you by surprise and the sore lower back fetters all movements. In such cases, doctors recommend doing the following:

  1. Take an anti-inflammatory or pain pill.
  2. Lie down on a hard sofa or floor with a blanket.
  3. It is necessary to lie on your back with your legs bent at the knees and slightly raised. To do this, they put a pillow under them. This position will loosen tense back muscles.
  4. All actions are performed smoothly and slowly.
  5. The doctor is called to the house.
  6. Spend several days lying down.

Preventive measures

In order for pain in the lower back to make itself felt less, you need to move more. If you have to sit at work for a long time, then every hour they do a warm-up.

Perform various tilts of the torso and head, rotational movements of the shoulders. While sitting in a chair, do not slouch or lean to one side. When lifting weights, keep your back straight and do not make sudden movements.

It is recommended to sleep on a medium firm mattress. Sports such as skiing, swimming, walking, yoga are useful for strengthening the spinal muscles. To find out if the spine has the correct shape, you need to stand with your back to a flat wall. If the back of the head, shoulder blades, buttocks and heels freely touch the wall, then everything is in order. Otherwise, it is useful to lean these parts of the body against the wall and stand in this position for up to 5 minutes. This will help bring the curves of the spine back to normal.

Many patients, having barely crossed the threshold of the doctor’s office, holding on to their lower backs, ask: “Why does the lower back hurt, and what medicines will help with this pain?”
Unfortunately, everything is not so simple, and you can choose the right method of treatment only after identifying the causes that caused the pain.

Primary and secondary pain syndrome

The causes of lower back pain can be very different, and only after thoroughly understanding what they came from, you can begin to deal with this ailment.

According to the medical classification of diseases, primary and secondary pain syndrome, which occurs in the lumbar region, are distinguished.

The primary pain syndrome is formed against the background of degenerative-dystrophic pathologies of the spine. These include osteochondrosis, in which cartilage and bone tissues are damaged, as well as spondylarthrosis, affecting the intervertebral or synovial joints.

Secondary pain syndrome can occur for a variety of reasons. First of all, the lower back constantly hurts with curvature of the spine (scoliosis). Also, this condition can be observed due to metabolic disorders of bone tissue (osteoporosis or osteomalacia).

Very often, the cause of pain in the lumbar region is inflammation of a non-infectious nature (Ankylosing spondylitis, Reiter's syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, etc.).

A rather dangerous cause of lower back pain is a fracture of the spinal vertebrae.

Pain syndrome can be the result of various infectious diseases leading to damage to the vertebrae and intervertebral discs (brucellosis, tuberculosis, epidural abscess).

The lower back hurts with acute disorders of the spinal circulation (stroke conditions), as well as diseases of the gastrointestinal tract (obstruction, atypical acute appendicitis).

In some pathologies, back pain is reflected. This happens when organs located in the pelvic area are affected (gynecological pathologies, STDs, renal colic).

Often pain is observed when stretching the lumbar muscles. The lower back hurts very much when the intervertebral discs of the lumbar region are displaced. At the same time, due to severe pain, the patient takes a forced position of the body, and his mobility when walking is also very limited.

Coxarthrosis (arthrosis of the hip joint) is also often the cause of secondary pain.

Other causes of back pain

Often, acute lumbar pain occurs due to an unsuccessful movement, prolonged work in an uncomfortable position, improper lifting or carrying of weights, a fall or blow, a sharp straightening with a simultaneous turn, as well as prolonged hypothermia or exposure to a draft. All these “accidents” can cause spasm and inflammation of the deep back muscles.

Many patients note that often the lower back hurts after sleep. There are reasons for this as well. The simplest of them is the uncomfortable position of the body in a dream. For those who like to sleep on their stomach, the muscles of the lumbar back are in constant tension, which provokes the occurrence of pain. Sometimes such a painful condition is due to the fact that the bed or pillow itself does not fit the person. That is why experts recommend sleeping on an orthopedic mattress to completely relax your back.

Also, morning lumbar pain can be a symptom of diseases of the internal organs. So, pathologies of the circulatory, digestive and genitourinary systems are accompanied by back pain.

Lower back pain as a cause of negative emotions

Few of the patients realize that the lower back is one of the most psychosomatic parts of the body, and therefore, it reacts very sharply to severe stress and excitement.

Anger, anger, irritability or intense fear contribute to the release of significant doses of adrenaline into the blood. As a result - an increase in the tone of the back muscles. And in the event that there is no adequate discharge, the muscles that are in increased tone begin to gradually tighten. And then - spasm and pain syndrome. It should be noted that spinal disorders very often develop in people with an unstable psyche, and for such patients, psychotherapy is the best method of treatment.

Lower back pain during pregnancy

Back pain can be very common during pregnancy

Many pregnant women worry about the causes of back pain.
In early pregnancy, this may be due to kidney or urinary tract disease. Also during this period, the production of progesterone increases, due to which there is an insignificant softening of the ligaments, which can cause lumbar pain.

In the second trimester of pregnancy, when the abdomen increases significantly, the load on the spine increases greatly, and therefore, there are pulling pains in the lumbar back.

Severe lower back pain during pregnancy can sometimes be the cause of a neurological disease (herniated disc or).

What to do if your back hurts

First of all, in the event that back pain does not go away within three days, a consultation with a neurologist is required. Only a specialist can develop a correct treatment strategy, which will depend on the severity of the patient's condition.

As a rule, most low back pain requires conservative treatment, however, sometimes there are cases when it is impossible to do without surgical intervention.

When prescribing conservative treatment, three main goals are pursued:

  1. Relieve the patient from pain.
  2. Development of a program of therapeutic and preventive measures to slow down degenerative-dystrophic processes in the spine.
  3. Rapid return of the patient to normal life.

First of all, we all need to learn how to properly relax after physical exertion. To do this, you need to take a horizontal position on a hard surface, and for the best relaxation, put a pillow under your knees.

Patients with impaired motor activity are advised not to stay in bed for more than 2-3 days, even if they have pain (of course, not very strong), as this significantly weakens the paravertebral muscles. With persistent pain syndrome with a return of pain in the leg, an orthopedic consultation is necessary.

In the case when osteochondrosis is diagnosed, complex drug treatment is prescribed with the help of drugs that reduce pain, improve blood circulation and restore nervous tissue.

To eliminate back pain, paravertebral blockades have proven themselves well. Such injections help relieve inflammation and muscle spasm, thereby relieving pain.

When a herniated disc is detected, the question of surgery arises. This technique involves the removal of a hernia that compresses the root and the creation of conditions for its recovery.

Adequate sleep for health and normal well-being is almost the main condition. But what kind of normal sleep can we talk about if the lower back hurts? Well, if you are just tired, doing training or doing business, but if this pain is due to spine problems ?

Causes of back pain

Lower back pain can occur due to various reasons, and sometimes only an experienced orthopedist or osteopath can understand its origins. There are two large groups. First - primary pains arising from skeletal or muscular disorders of the spinal column.

These include issues such as:

  • osteochondrosis, dystrophic lesions of the cartilage and bones of the spine;
  • spondylarthrosis - damage to the intervertebral joints.

All other manifestations are to secondary pain when not the vertebrae are directly affected, but the tissues around the lumbar region:

  • infectious lesions in the vertebrae - tuberculosis, osteomyelitis;
  • osteoporosis and softening of bones;
  • inflammation of the joints in the spine - ankylosing spondylitis, arthritis;
  • tumors in the paravertebral space;
  • fractures, including compression ones, of the vertebrae;
  • disorders of the spinal circulation;
  • diseases of the small pelvis and intestines, then the pains are reflected.

Many other diseases can give one of the symptoms of back pain.

What should you sleep on?

If back pain has become a daily occurrence for you, start by changing your bed and mattress. First of all, get rid of featherbeds and cotton mattresses, they are uncomfortable and increase pain, not giving normal rest to the lower back.

The bed should be hard with a solid orthopedic base, and in case of problems with the bone base of the spine, put a thick wooden shield under the mattress in combination with special springs or blocks. The bed should not sag under your weight in the lumbar region, but it should take the curves of your body in the shape of the spine.

Another option for a mattress can be a water mattress without waves and with density regulation. During sleep on such a mattress, the pressure on the body is distributed evenly, so you can sleep on it all night in a constant position.

Sleep positions

For correct and sound sleep choose the right posture. They recommend sleeping on your back with your legs slightly bent. Place a pillow under your head and neck, and place your shoulders and back on the mattress. Stretching the legs puts strain on the tendons of the thigh and buttocks, which can exacerbate lower back pain. Place a roller or small pillow. You will immediately feel lower back pain relief and relaxation.

Another useful sleeping position is the fetal position - lie on your left or right side, pull your hips towards your stomach, while your back arches. Put a small pillow between your legs, it will not allow you to turn your hips and load your lower back.

Proper sleep for back pain

If you find it most comfortable to sleep on your stomach, place a small pillow or cushion under your groin and pelvis to prevent your lower back from leaning forward or arching too much. This will relieve pain and tension in the ligaments.

Sometimes it helps to tightly pull the lumbar region with a towel with the formation of a knot in front before going to bed to keep the muscles and ligaments immobile and reduce pain.

How to get out of bed with pain?

Sleeping right is half the battle. Waking up in the morning, you should properly get out of bed without provoking an attack of pain. Before getting up, stretch your legs and arms: do some flexion and extension exercises. Roll gently onto your stomach if you slept on your back and lower one leg to the floor, resting it on your knee. Now shift your body weight onto that leg and your arms. Get up smoothly, without making sudden movements, due to the strength of your arms and emphasis on your legs.

You can get up in another way - roll over on your side and bend your knees, lift your body on your hands, leaning on the edge of the bed, while lowering your legs from the bed to the floor. Keep your lower back and back straight.