Why do I experience lower back pain and body aches in the morning?
Disease description:
I have been experiencing lower back pain every morning upon waking up recently, which makes me feel very uncomfortable. The pain eases slightly after daytime activities, but returns again the next morning. Moreover, the pain affects my mood and work efficiency. What could be causing this?
Doctor's answer (1)
Dr. Chen Jian
Waking up with lower back pain in the morning may be caused by various factors, and the following are some common reasons:
1. Poor sleeping posture: During sleep, maintaining the same posture for an extended period or using pillows and mattresses that do not suit your body's needs—for example, pillows that are too high or too low, or mattresses that are too soft or too firm—can cause muscles to remain improperly stretched or compressed for long durations, leading to muscle tension and pain.
2. Exposure to cold: Failing to keep warm during sleep and leaving the waist and back exposed to cold environments may allow cold to invade the body. Cold invasion can impair blood circulation in the waist and back area, resulting in aching and discomfort.
3. Lumbar muscle strain: Chronic strain of the lower back muscles—for instance, due to prolonged heavy physical labor or repeated injuries to the waist area—may lead to this condition. Additionally, long-term poor posture, such as working bent over for extended periods, or overuse of the back muscles, such as frequent high-intensity exercise, may also cause lumbar muscle strain, resulting in lower back pain upon waking.
4. Chronic diseases: Spinal conditions such as lumbar disc herniation and ankylosing spondylitis, as well as lumbar muscle strain, may cause such symptoms.
5. Other medical conditions: Certain internal diseases, such as nephritis and pelvic inflammatory disease; kidney pain caused by kidney stones that radiates to the back; and autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis may also potentially cause lower back pain.
