I have a few questions: 1) do you sleep on your side, stomac, or back? 2) what type of bed do you have - Air, Foam, Coil, Water, etc. 3) is the bed soft, firm, or hard? 4) How long as this been going on - 1 week, 1 month, 1 year, etc. 5) Was there any accident no matter how trivial in the month or two leading up to the pain?

TY,
Trace

I believe that Trace was on the right track here; (see above) when he asked about accidents and the duration of the problem. I would also ask your age. Backache following rest is a common symptom of osteoarthritic changes, primarily from degenerative disc, or intervertebral joint disease. Keeping those joints mobile needs to be the primary goal in eliminating your chronic pains. When the small joints between the vertebrae begin to fuse, they are acting much like the raw ends of a broken bone which wants to heal. In the broken bone, we place you in plaster to allow the healing, so, for example, you don't develop an extra elbow on one arm. But in the case of spinal joints with DJD, it's the exact opposite. That's the role of Chiropractic Manipulative Therapy (CMT), and recent studies (See Bishop, PB, Dec 2010;10;1055-1064 "The Spine Journal) have shown it superior to any other treatment available for that purpose. Assuming no sea food allergies, you can supplement with Glucosamine (usually sold with Chondroitin). There are numerous studies showing that this can help maintain the flexibility and integrity of the cartilage. My personal experience with my own patients bears this out. In the end, you should probably see a competent Doctor of Chiropractic.

With all of the details that you have given including the MRI, we should look at areas that are within normal limits for the healthcare field?

1st Avenue:
Do you have an increase or decrease in your lordosis of the lumbar spine?

Have you slept on a firm matteress on your back (no stomac) for 3 months straight?

Have you ever done the Pettibon Towel Roll exersize daily for three months?

Many people that have a decrease in the lordosis of the lumbar spine tend to develope stiffness without other symptoms, until they are in their 40's, 50's or 60"s.

I have the exact same problem. I'm male, 29 years old, and while I don't go to the gym I do walk an average of 4 miles a day. In other words, I'm fairly young and am in pretty good shape. The problem started about two and a half years ago and has been an on again off again problem since, though it's been consistent for the past six months. I can't seem to get more than five to six hours of sleep, because if I lie down for more than that time my back start hurting terribly. The "nice" thing is that it's not chronic and getting up and walking about gets rid of the pain after about thirty minutes to an hour (sometimes longer), but it makes getting a decent night sleep impossible. I'm forced to try to wedge little "naps" throughout the day so I'm not a zombie. I sleep usually on either of my sides and often start trying to sleep on my back.

The one thing I'll add to the discussion, besides a sense comradeship, is that I'm pretty sure it doesn't have anything to do with the spine itself. It's the back muscles. I notice sometimes if I really try to ignore the pain and go back to sleep that my mid-lower back muscles start twitching something terrible. I've tried specifically doing exercises that strengthen your back muscles, but I'm either doing it wrong or it isn't helping the problem. I've tried taking ibuprofen before I go to bed, but that doesn't seem to help either. I was proscribed a muscle relaxer briefly but I didn't notice any discernible difference besides dry mouth.

If anyone (including the original questioner) has any insights into this issue I would be very very grateful. Thanks so much!