3 Ways To Get Out Of Bed Without Lower Back Pain In The Morning

How NOT To Get Out Of Bed If You Have Lower Back Pain In The Morning

So first of all, let's go over what not to do.

A typical way that many people get out of bed is they sit straight up. Then they swing their feet to get out of bed.

However when you've been laying on your back all night, your lower back is in an arched position.

Then when you go to sit up and use your hip flexors (iliopsoas) to help lift you up, your hip flexors pull you into even more back arch.

Your iliopsoas also create a massive compression force on your lower back.

That jams the joints in your lower back together.

If you have degenerative disc disease or spinal stenosis, it can also pinch on the nerves and irritate them, which is not a good way to start out your day.

So I would highly recommend that it's probably not a good idea to sit straight up when you first get up in the morning.

So what should you do instead?

How To Get Out Of Bed Without Lower Back Pain In The Morning

Technique 1

Well, the textbook way that they tell you to do it in physical therapy school is to roll over onto your side so that you're facing out of the bed.

If that's the way you sleep, you can skip that step.

However, when you roll over on your side, you want to roll your whole body as a log.

You don't want to twist your upper half first. You also don't want to twist your lower half first.

That's because your lower back was not made to twist.

The joints sit inside one another, so when you twist too far, it jams the joints into one another.

So you want to try to roll your whole body as a log.

If you're too close to the edge, you may have to kind of scoot yourself over and add a little bit to give yourself enough space to log roll over onto your side. Then, once you're onto your side, you want to take your feet and hang them over the edge.

Now drop your feet over the edge of the bed.

This will give you leverage to push your body up to a seated position.

Use your arms to help push you up to a sitting position.

Now one important point is that when you go to sit up, you want to keep your abdominal muscles tightened.

Do a little abdominal crunch as you're sitting up.  That will prevent your back from arching too much as you sit up.

Once you're sitting, you still have the task of getting up to a standing position.

If you just stand straight up, you're probably going to arch your back more than is ideal or comfortable.

Scoot to the edge of the bed and get your feet on the floor with your abdominal muscles still tightened.

Then once you're hunched over at the edge with your feet on the floor, then you lean forward and push your hips back underneath of you to stand up.

That's a much more comfortable way to start out your day than just trying to sit straight up from bed.

Again, that's the traditional way that they teach you in physical therapy school to get a patient out of bed in the hospital or to have people get out of bed if they have back pain.

However, that technique doesn't work for everyone, so here are a few other options.

Technique 2

This version eliminates the step of having to sit up, which is probably the most uncomfortable part for people who have lower back pain if they're using the prior technique

In technique 1, there is still some side bend and twisting component involved. Sometimes, people with lower back pain still have trouble sitting up from bed using that technique.

An alternative is to roll all the way over onto your belly. Then, let one leg hang off, bring the other leg off.

After, you can use your hands to get up to an upright position without lower back pain in the morning.

This technique allows you to skip that whole step of having to sit up.

Technique 3

The third technique combines the first and second methods.

This technique involves you rolling over onto your side and putting your feet over the edge of the bed.

Then, you straighten both legs and bring them both down to the ground at once.

As a result, you roll off the edge of the bed and land on your feet and then push up to a standing position.

It's a good idea to have someone around the first time you try this, because you're literally rolling out of bed.

You don't want to roll out of the bed onto the floor.

Therefore, for safety's sake, make sure there's someone around the first time you try this method.

Conclusion

So those were the 3 ways to get out of bed without lower back pain in the morning.

Try each of them and then use the version that works best for you.

Need More Help For Lower Back Pain?

If you live in the St. Louis area and you need more help for lower back pain, we'd be happy to help you out here at More 4 Life.  Just tap the button below to request an appointment with one of our specialist physical therapists.

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