With low back pain, it’s best to get back to normal activities and moving as soon as possible.
Sitting or lying down temporarily to reduce symptoms is fine, however, bed rest is not recommended to recover from back pain.
Most people will recover in 2-6 weeks regardless of what type of treatment or movement they do, so, do movement that doesn’t aggravate things too much.
If you’re having intense symptoms, ice, heat, and NSAIDs can be a first-line treatment to help make things more tolerable.
Trying to decide if you should get a standing desk or a good chair, check this article out to help you decide!
Should I lay down if I have lower back pain?
It is not necessary to lie down if you have lower back pain unless you feel that it makes it better.
Changing positions throughout the day can be a helpful way to manage the symptoms you may have.
Or course, laying down during the day may not be entirely feasible especially if you have children you are watching or have a job that does not permit this
What kind of back pain is relieved by lying down?
There isn’t a specific type of back pain that is relieved by lying down per-se.
Whether you have sciatica, non-specific low back pain, spondylolisthesis, symptomatic degenerative disc disease, a disc herniation, or something else, the position that will be most comfortable is different for each person.
Does lying flat on the floor help back pain?
As you’re probably realizing from reading this article, the answer to this question is “it depends.”
While I have had clients who benefit from lying flat on the floor, this is not a one size fits all.
I’ve also had people who tried this and they weren’t able to get back up without some pretty severe pain.
What position will relieve lower back pain?
This will depend on which position feels the best for you.
There is not a one size fits all or a X=Y approach.
It’s not like if you have sciatica or stenosis that magically sitting will feel better. It might be that standing feels better for a particular person.
It’s my opinion that you should try many different positions for many different durations and see which one works best for you.
This is why going to a physical therapist can be helpful as they can help you navigate and pick the best position and movement for you without making things worse.
Does sitting make lower back pain worse?
This is only the case if you find that lumbar flexion and sitting for longer durations of time do increase symptoms.
I know this is somewhat of a circular answer, however, it’s kind of begging the question.
So, yes, sitting can make lower back pain worse, but it can also make it better. This largely depends on the person and what you might respond best to.
How do you sit in a car with lower back pain?
Is lying down better than sitting for lower back pain?
Again, this is person-by-person dependent. If your symptoms improve with lying down, great, incorporate more lying down throughout your day.
If symptoms improve with sitting, then incorporate some more sitting into your day.
In the same vein, if you notice that it gets better with standing or walking, try to increase the amount of time you perform these activities for, too.
Why does my lower back hurt when I lie flat on the ground?
There are many potential reasons why your lower back might hurt when you lie flat on the ground.
The most common reason is likely that you’re not used to lying in this position. If you aren’t used to lying in a certain position or sitting in a certain position for that matter, it’s not uncommon to develop some sort of pain.
With lying on the ground, your lumbar spine is usually in increased extension which if you aren’t used to it can cause some discomfort.
Don’t worry, this isn’t damaging your spine or anything like that and there is nothing wrong with extension.
Just consider moving out of this position and limiting your time lying flat on the ground.
I’m not entirely sure why you’re lying flat on the ground like that in the first place, but, if it hurts, maybe don’t do that.
Key Takeaways
- There is not one specific position that is better for lower back pain. You need to find the position that’s best for you.
- There is not one specific best movement or exercise for lower back pain. You need to find the movement that feels best to you.
- Lying down or sitting are not magical cures for lower back pain.