Lower back pain only in morning

[SJMCRAE]

I wake every morning with horrible pain in lower back (kidney area) that radiates to the front of stomach (rib area).  I have had battery of tests and found nothing.  I am only able to sleep 5-6 hours before pain wakes me, also unable to take a deep breath until I get out of bed (very painful just to roll over), once I stand and get out of bed the pain almost immediately starts to ease.  After about 20 minutes of walking around and after first morning void, pain disappears for remainder of day.
Could this be a pinched nerve or nerve compression?  Had MRI of lower lumbar which showed normal...chiro recommends stretching excersises, something serious has to be wrong with this kind of pain.  If anyone has any ideas it would be GREATLY appreciated!!

[CindiK]

My orthopaed wrote back. He says I should try stretching the ham strings."Some thoughts from me would be short hamstrings, which often tilts your pelvis resulting in lower backpain. Then when you try and straighten your legs in bed, you tilt your lower back into a gentle natural curve, which it’s not used to any more, resulting in stiffness and pain especially after cooling down and being immobile in bed.And check out this site :"  
http://gentleyogaforstiffbodies.com/articles/hamstrings.html
So I am stretching the hamstrings today and will see if there isnt just a little bit of relief tonight. Hopeful!
Whats interesting with our problem is that its EVERY early morning! ...  After walking for a few minutes, it dissipates ... I hope this hamstring thing works!

[CindiK]

I actually have a roller, it might be a little hard, but never thought of quads being connected (wow!), but certainly worth a try. I do use it for the glutes and calves. Will give it a go and let you know. Interestingly enough, I did find slight relief after doing a quad stretch. Just the normal one of standing and holding your foot. Ever hopeful!!!  I've actually written to a good orthopaed friend in NZ and waiting to hear if he has any insight, if so, will post!

[Johnnyquerry]

A great help against back pain is an acupressure mat. Try Iplikator, it is really effective (based on acupuncture), it heats the zone, makes the blow flow, and relieves pain. I use it every morning as I wake up, and it really helps to start the day with no pain.
Check it out at dolorfree.com/en (or just google it)
Good luck

[hawnsun]

Hi CindiK,
The psoas exercises were great but did not completely get rid of my groin pain in the morning. So, upon recommendation from an airline friend who works on the ramp loading planes, I just started using a foam roller and have been using it on my quads which are sooo tight.  It's wonderful for myofascial release of any knots in my muscles.  I'm not sure how my quad muscles got so tight but by loosening up these muscles my groin and lower back are getting better.  I just follow the directions which came with my roller; I lie face down with the roller under each quad separately and roll one inch at a time or until I can feel a knot in my muscle (where it hurts so badly) and keep it there while breathing and relaxing into the pain.  He told me to get a good roller (I spent $39.99) which 'gives' a little; you don't want one that is too hard and will hurt too much to use (the myofascial release hurts enough).  Right now I'm still experimenting and not sure if this is the 'cure all' but it seems to be helping.  I'm also using it on my calves & shoulders which are also very tight.  Let me know if you try this and if it was helpful.                

[hawnsun]

Hi CindiK,
The psoas exercises were great but did not completely get rid of my groin pain in the morning. So, upon recommendation from an airline friend who works on the ramp loading planes, I just started using a foam roller and have been using it on my quads which are sooo tight.  It's wonderful for myofascial release of any knots in my muscles.  I'm not sure how my quad muscles got so tight but by loosening up these muscles my groin and lower back are getting better.  I just follow the directions which came with my roller; I lie face down with the roller under each quad separately and roll one inch at a time or until I can feel a knot in my muscle (where it hurts so badly) and keep it there while breathing and relaxing into the pain.  He told me to get a good roller (I spent $39.99) which 'gives' a little; you don't want one that is too hard and will hurt too much to use (the myofascial release hurts enough).  Right now I'm still experimenting and not sure if this is the 'cure all' but it seems to be helping.  I'm also using it on my calves & shoulders which are also very tight.  Let me know if you try this and if it was helpful.                

[CindiK]

Nicole, to be honest, the psoas stretches DID help. I had ad hoc good nights.  You can google them and find some that you like. Have you tried massaging your stomach or just pressing in deep between the hip bone and the pubic bone. You can push really deep until the pain goes away (as the muscle relaxes). Its pretty painful and a bit scary, because you keep wondering if there are things in there that shouldnt be pushed, but it DEFINITELY relieved my pain completely at about 4am this morning and I woke with my alarm at 6am. I am not sure why this is happening NOR what the cure is, but I am pretty convinced that its the psoas muscle and the internal muscles of the spine between the hips are the culprit.  The feeling though, is definitely a feeling of colon filled with gas as well as chronic back pain between the hips..  I think the fact that one gets UP is more the answer than the fact that one urinates.  We need to be more disciplined to try various activities and see what transpires. Like for example, getting up at 4am, NOT urinating, JUST walking around for 2 minutes, to see if there is similar relief to urinating.  I somehow doubt its organs. I think its a combination of skeletal and muscle. But that's my GUT FEEL, note the pun! hahaha! Why arent doctors onto this?