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!!

[imcori72]

I have the exact same symptoms as Colleen.  Did you ever find relief for your back?  Just wondering if any of the changes helped you.  

[PainfulBack60]

I am researching on line because I have SEVERE back pain in morning if I sleep in bed no matter what position I try.  I have been sleeping in Loveseat with my upper body elevated and 2 large pillows keeping my upper legs elevated so I am sleeping in "V" shape.  This is only position I can sleep in to be able to get up in morning with less pain.  I saw your situation is much like mine and wondered if you have learned anything else since your post several years ago that might help me.  I have been told to change mattress which I have tried several and nothing changes.  I have had injections with no relief.

[Laipi]

Had the very same problem till recently I found out the reason: if I open up my thigh apart deliberately or not (there's some sound on the bone), I will have the pain the next day. Once I controlled my thigh position and not to twist my spine, I am perfectly fine now.

[tinnell]

I had this problem and I found a solution that seems to work for me.  I am 69 years old with serious deterioration in my lower spine.  One of my disks is entirely gone and the xray looks something like a train wreck.  About two years ago I developed a serious pain in my hip, which was apparently caused by a nerve being pinched in my spine.  After some physical therapy and about a year of various back exercises, I overcame this problem, but then I started having serious morning back pain.  The pain would get much better or go away entirely after about 30 to 60 minutes after I got up and about.  The pain was on each side of my back, just above the hip bone.  Sometimes it was so bad that I could barely get out of bed.  I noticed that a back exercise called the "bridge" seemed to affect the same area that was giving me trouble.  I added this exercise to my existing back exercise routine.  After about two months of this, the morning back pain is almost all gone!  The exercise I am referring to is to lay on your back with knees bent and lift your hips off the floor as far as possible and hold it for 15 to 30 seconds.  I also lift my hips up repetitively 10 to 20 times to "work" the muscles involved.  I try to do this 3 times each day.  From the physics of this, I suspect that this exercise compresses the spine, which I do not want.  It is compressed enough already.  So I alternate this exercise with other back exercises which stretch the spine.  Don't know if this will help anybody, but it worked for me.

[Luciemma]

It's so reassuring to know others have experienced this and I'm not going mad! I've been waking in a morn and during the night with what can only be described as an aching waist/lower back which disappears after about 5 mins. It's so painful I can't turn over. I've had it for a couple of years on and off & always put it down to mattresses, period pain or as I am prone to water infections/cystitis that it's linked to these. But I'm sure it isn't as have experienced kidney pain which feels much different. I am fit and healthy with a varied diet  having engaged in running, the gym and dancing with a lack of exercise over the last few months due to lack of time. Ii get test results back tomorrow to rule out traces of a urine infection as this pain has been so bad this week & even surfaced in the afternoon when out walking I decided to see the doctor. Hopefully he will get to the bottom of it but I feel it's a minefield trying to pinpoint the exact cause & guess everyone feels abit like that. Good luck in finding a cure everyone. This is a really useful forum. :-)

[KMeigs]

I have had this pain in my back at the side for a while. It's only when I first wake up and when I get up for a bit it goes completely away. If I stay in bed I cannot get comfortable.  I go to a chiropractor and she helps tremendously.  She says it is my sacroiliac. Somehow the muscle tendon has "come off tract".  I have spinal stenosis and sciatica for years as well. I've just started back seeing her the chiropractor. It usually takes several visits for me to feel a good amount of relief. I  I'm 56 years old and have led a very active life. I've also fallen many, many times but some of my problems are hereditary.  I hope this helps someone.

[sneely85]

Don't know if this helps but I was doing this for years while having tests too.   They finally ordered a sonogram of the kidney area while I was laying down and the radiologist saw what was happening.  I had 3 cysts on my right ovary.....one was ruptured and one was leaking.  While laying down the fluid runs into the gutter area around the kidneys causing severe spasms and pain in the kidneys and lower back and hip areas.  It stops as soon as I would rise or sit up. I only got @ 4 hours of sleep each night.  Doctor prescribed a pain medicine for the urinary tract area and said my body would eventually take care of the ruptured cysts.   I was continually plagued with them until I started menopause.  I'm now 48 and haven't had to take anything for them in a few years.  I did have to have one scraped off my left ovary 6 years ago due to the extreme pain.