![Dr. Adogwa wears blue scrubs, a scrub cab, mask and glasses while working in the operating room](https://www.uc.edu/news/articles/2024/06/n21256162/jcr:content/image.img.cq5dam.thumbnail.500.500.jpg/1717610676495.jpg)
How to sleep with lower back pain
UC neurosurgeon featured in Prevention article
A majority of people have had or will have lower back pain in their life. The University of Cincinnati's Owoicho Adogwa, MD, spoke with Prevention on ways to sleep when you have lower back pain.
Adogwa said lack of sleep impairs the body's ability to heal and recover, so poor sleep can aggravate existing lower back problems.
“Sleeping on your back with a pillow under the knees helps maintain the natural curve of the spine, reducing stress on the lower back,” said Adogwa, a UC Gardner Neuroscience Institute physician researcher and assistant professor of neurosurgery in UC's College of Medicine. “Side sleeping with a pillow between the knees keeps the hips, pelvis, and spine in better alignment, minimizing strain on the lumbar region.”
Folks dealing with poor sleep may also want to take a look at their mattress, Adogwa said.
“A mattress that is too soft may cause the spine to sag, leading to poor spinal alignment and increased pressure on the lower back,” he explained. “Conversely, a mattress that is too firm may fail to support the natural curves of the spine, causing discomfort and stiffness.”
Stretches and/or yoga before bed can also "alleviate muscle tension," according to Adogwa.
Featured photo at top of Dr. Adogwa in surgery. Photo/UC Health.
Related Stories
Bono, Chris Tucker Visit UC To Discuss Africa
December 5, 2002
U2's Bono and comedian-actor Chris Tucker led a delegation from the DATA organization who came to UC to talk about potentially catastrophic problems in Africa.
New Year's Help for Those Looking to Kick the Habit
December 20, 2002
Quitting smoking consistently ranks among the top three resolutions made by New Year's resolvers each year.
E-BRIEF: Let's Toast to a Healthier 2003
January 8, 2003
The New Year often means a new health kick: Vows to tone up and trim down, and maybe going to the doctor and getting ourselves as regularly "maintenanced" as we do our cars. So, this week's University of Cincinnati e-briefing examines the health concerns of the young and old, and what you should be doing to preserve your good health.
Today's ML King Events: One On, One Off
January 8, 2003
A memorial march, presentations, poetry and dance will pay tribute to the slain civil rights leader.
UC Named Lead Organization for OSHA Training Consortium
January 13, 2003
UC Continuing Medical Education (CME) has been selected as the lead organization for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Great Lakes Training Consortium by the U.S. Department of Labor.
Ignorance of Stroke s Warning Signs a Barrier to Treatment; More Education Needed, UC Researchers Report in JAMA
January 13, 2003
Demographic groups facing the greatest risk of death and disability from stroke are the least likely to recognize stroke s warning signs and risk factors, according to a study by UC researchers published in the January 15 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).
Ignorance of Stroke s Warning Signs a Barrier to Treatment; More Education Needed, UC Researchers Report in JAMA
January 14, 2003
Demographic groups facing the greatest risk of death and disability from stroke are the least likely to recognize stroke s warning signs and risk factors, according to a study by UC researchers published in the January 15 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).
UC Researchers Find New Link Between the Eye and the Clock in the Brain
January 20, 2003
Results of a study done by a team of researchers working in the laboratories of Michael Lehman, PhD, professor, Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology, and Anatomy at the UC College of Medicine, will appear in the February issue of Nature Neuroscience.
UC Researchers Find New Link Between the Eye and the Clock in the Brain
January 21, 2003
Results of a study done by a team of researchers working in the laboratories of Michael Lehman, PhD, professor, Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology, and Anatomy at the UC College of Medicine, will appear in the February issue of Nature Neuroscience.
Leader of Fetal Surgery to Deliver Lectures at UC
January 31, 2003
An internationally recognized authority on fetal surgery will lecture at the UC Medical Center, representing the first of a series of lectures on fetal surgery presented by the department of Obstetrics and Gynecology (Ob/Gyn).