How to Sleep Better with Upper Back Pain: Tips for Relief & Improved Sleep

Understanding the Connection Between Upper Back Pain and Sleep

Chronic upper back pain affects people of all ages and can significantly disrupt your ability to get restful sleep. The upper back area includes the upper trapezius muscles, shoulder blades, spinal column, and back of the rib cage. Many factors can cause muscle tightness and soreness here, from poor posture to injury. The resulting discomfort and limited mobility often make it difficult to fall and stay asleep.

Lack of quality sleep then exacerbates the pain, creating a frustrating cycle. When your body doesnt get adequate rest, it amplifies inflammation and muscle tension. Fortunately, making strategic adjustments to relieve pressure points and relax the upper back before bedtime can help you finally get both relief and much-needed slumber.

Common Causes of Upper Back Pain

Understanding whats provoking your upper back pain will inform the best treatment approach. Common culprits include:

• Muscle tightness from poor posture - Slouching puts strain on upper back and neck.
• Injuries - Torn muscles or ligaments from accidents, exercise, or overuse.
• Pinched nerves - Bulging discs or spinal arthritis may irritate nerves.
• Osteoporosis - Weakened vertebrae are vulnerable to fractures and compression.
• Scoliosis - Curvature of the spine changes weight distribution.
• Spinal stenosis - Narrowing of the spinal column crowds nerve roots.

If chronic upper back pain disrupts your sleep, consult your healthcare provider to accurately diagnose the cause and rule out any serious conditions.

How Upper Back Pain Affects Your Ability to Sleep

Difficulty falling and staying asleep stem both from the intensity of upper back pain itself as well as limited mobility. Key ways that upper back discomfort or stiffness disturbance sleep include:

Physical Discomfort

Dull, aching muscle tightness or sharp neuropathic nerve pain make it very hard to get comfortable at night. Pressure points prevent you from being able to relax. Discomfort may also wake you frequently throughout the night.

Difficulty Finding Comfortable Sleeping Positions

Upper back conditions like scoliosis, arthritis, or muscle tightness limit your range of motion. The inability to twist, turn, and shift easily to take pressure off sensitive areas keeps you from settling into comfortable sleep positions.

Medication Side Effects

Prescriptions you might take to manage incessant upper back pain, like muscle relaxants, steroids, or antidepressants may have insomnia or sleep disturbances as a side effect.

Stress and Anxiety

Dealing with constant discomfort is mentally taxing. Many sufferers experience racing thoughts at bedtime as they dread another wretched night of little sleep ahead.

Lifestyle Changes to Relieve Upper Back Pain for Better Sleep

Adjusting certain lifestyle factors that aggravate upper back pain and impede sleep offers natural relief without medication. Positive changes also complement any medical treatments in your pain management plan. Helpful tactics include:

Improve Your Posture

Addressing poor posture during waking hours prevents added pressure on the upper back. Pull shoulders back so your chest opens instead of hunching forward. When sitting at a desk or driving, support the mid back to avoid rounding or stooping, which strains muscles. Stand up and stretch shoulders/upper back periodically too.

Exercise Regularly

Low-impact activities like yoga, pilates, and targeted upper back stretches gently loosen tense muscles, lubricate joints, and reduce pain flare-ups. Aerobic exercise also helps by releasing endorphins to block discomfort. Avoid sudden or intense workouts that could further injure the upper back.

Apply Heat/Ice

The anti-inflammatory properties of cold packs help numb irritated nerves and shrink swollen tissue associated with some conditions like spinal stenosis or a pinched nerve. Heat relaxes tight muscles causing referred pain across upper back areas. Use whichever feels best for managing your unique pain.

Adjust Sleep Positions

Placing pillows strategically under or between the knees and behind the back modifies alignment to take pressure off the upper back. Pregnant women may also rest more comfortably propped slightly upright on their side instead of flat. Experiment to discover which adjustments work best.

Establish Soothing Routines

Calming pre-bedtime rituals cue the mind and body that sleep will come soon. A warm bath, light stretches, listening to mellow music, diffusing lavender essential oil, or journaling thoughts to clear your head all promote restfulness.

Reduce Evening Stress

To lower anxiety about impending sleep issues, make to-do lists to organize racing thoughts earlier in the day. At night, avoid emotionally charged conversations, work tasks, news, or films that make muscles tense and activate your mind. Read an uplifting book or chat with a supportive friend.

Medical Treatment Options for Improving Sleep with Upper Back Pain

Over-the-counter medications, prescription drugs, alternative treatments, or devices your doctor may recommend to make sleeping with upper back pain more possible include:

OTC Pain Relievers

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like Advil (ibuprofen) or Aleve (naproxen) ease both pain and inflammation associated with some types of chronic upper back conditions. Use as needed short term per package instructions.

Topical Pain Patches/Creams

Menthol, lidocaine, or capsaicin creams numb localized upper back pain. Diclofenac patches slowly release anti-inflammatory medicine into nearby tissue over 12 hours. Both provide soothing focal relief at night.

Muscle Relaxants

Oral prescription medications like cyclobenzaprine, tizanidine, methocarbamol, or carisoprodol reduce upper back muscle spasms related to injury or poor posture. However, drowsiness or sleep medication side effects should be considered.

Nerve Pain Drugs

For sharp neuropathic upper back pain from pinched nerves, bulging discs, etc., anticonvulsants like Lyrica or Cymbalta may calm irritated nerve fibers. Narcotics should only be used short term due to addiction risks.

Pain Psychology Treatment

Cognitive behavioral therapy given by a psychiatrist teaches mental techniques for controlling pain or improving pain tolerance. Hypnosis focusing attention away from discomfort also aids sleep.

Physical Therapy

Hands-on stretching, ultrasound treatments, electrical nerve stimulation, and joint mobilization provided by physical therapists target stiff areas to increase mobility. Custom exercises also strengthen supportive muscles long term.

Acupuncture

Fine needles placed in strategic pressure points along the upper back realign muscular or skeletal imbalance. Boosting circulation and calming central nervous system reaction to pain then promotes sleep.

Ergonomic Devices/Bedding

Cervical pillows, lumbar cushions, or ergonomic back braces maintain alignment to take stress off sore upper back areas while stationary or sleeping. Adjustable beds facilitating customized reclining angles also help.

Relieving frustrating upper back pain is critical for restoring restorative sleep vital to physical and mental health. Start with conservative at-home remedies first, then explore medical treatments if sleep disruption continues. Be patient; it may take some experimentation to discover your perfect formula for sleeping comfortably again.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment regimen.