There are usually only a couple of reasons people suffer from back pain that only seems to occur in the morning. Morning back pain can be quite common for the person who suffers from chronic back problems. They may feel fine when they go to bed, and then they wake up with pain and stiffness. It seems as though sometime during the course of the night, whether sleeping on the back or the side, pain occurs and even sub-consciously the chronic back pain sufferer will compensate for that pain and wake up stiff and sore. However, there are two other reasons that this pain can occur, whether the person suffers from chronic back pain or not.

If a person is healthy and has not been having any general concerns except for the back pain in the morning, the cause is generally the mattress they are using. Older mattresses, soft mattresses and even a mattress that is too firm can sometimes create morning stiffness and soreness in the lower back area. Each individual is different and choosing the right mattress for your body type is very important. Some people may say that sleeping on your side or putting a pillow between your legs while sleeping can help alleviate the pain, but generally this is a temporary fix and the morning back pain will not go away and in some instances, can even increase in intensity over time.

The most common person with morning back pain is athletic and in shape. Ninety percent of morning back pain is due to oxygen deprivation. Just as the distance runner can experience leg cramps during the last stages of a race, the back when fully rested and especially when lying down receives less oxygen than normal. When exercising, the body is able to supply enough oxygen to the muscles, nerves and ligaments, but when resting the oxygen that is circulated throughout the body lessens and then oxygen deprivation occurs. There has been much debate as to the cause of muscular oxygen deprivation but many believe that it is almost always connected to an unresolved psychological or emotional issue. Your subconscious mind uses the morning pain as reassurance that the psychological issues will remain hidden when you wake up.

There are many ways to combat the morning back pain such as pain relief drugs, special pillows, better mattresses that contour to your body. Some of these solutions can be expensive and may not even help lessen the pain. One thing you can do if you are experiencing back pain that occurs only in the morning is to start doing some simple stretching exercises upon waking on a regular basis. Before you even get out of bed, stretch slowly and fully. Sit up slowly and stretch your arms straight up while your feet are flat on the floor. Slowly stand and then stretch from side to side. This five minute wake up stretching will go far in the promotion of a healthy and strong back.