Can severe pain in lower back be a serious sign of something else?

Hello everyone,

I don’t even know where to begin. I’ve had lower back pain since I can remember. I’m 27 now and I remember it mostly starting when I got my first job at 16 and being on and off for many many years.

At some point in college there were times where the lower back pain would be so bad that it would make me feel so stiff and hard to get out of bed, walk, and do daily activities. This would happen probably 2-3 times a year for about 4-5 years.

For about 2 years now this lower back pain has become chronic. It’s worse when I lie down on my right side unless I have a pillow between my legs. So for the first time in years I realized that I feel like the pain could be due from being a stomach sleeper. I always have been and I notice when I wake up in the morning the pain is so bad from the night before that I can’t move too fast right away. Sometimes standing for too long can cause it too. But it’s definitely mostly from sleeping on my stomach.

I know when I use pillows under my stomach or between my legs it reduces the pain a lot and makes it easier to sleep. But I don’t do that often and the pain has become a daily thing in my life. Could it be only that or does it sound like something serious?

If it hurts you that much, it's serious.

However, that doesn't mean it's likely to be life-threatening.

I had to retrain myself to not be a stomach sleeper for this exact reason. It puts a ton of strain on your lower back because your butt region naturally will say down below your upper and lower half when laying on your stomach - kind of creates an “arch” in your back as you sleep. It was so bad it would take me a good 2-3 mins to even stand up straight when getting out of bed in the morning. I’m now a side sleeper (occasionally roll onto my back but always roll back to my side lol). I’ve noticed the lower back pain is massively reduced.

Also bought a bed that the foot and head can elevate or lower separately, that has helped take pressure off my lower back as well.

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Originally Posted by glassgirlw

I had to retrain myself to not be a stomach sleeper for this exact reason. It puts a ton of strain on your lower back because your butt region naturally will say down below your upper and lower half when laying on your stomach - kind of creates an “arch” in your back as you sleep. It was so bad it would take me a good 2-3 mins to even stand up straight when getting out of bed in the morning. I’m now a side sleeper (occasionally roll onto my back but always roll back to my side lol). I’ve noticed the lower back pain is massively reduced.

Also bought a bed that the foot and head can elevate or lower separately, that has helped take pressure off my lower back as well.

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Hello, thank you for responding!!
I feel like since my situation has been happening for many years that it must be similar to what you’re describing. I can definitely relate to not being able to stand or get out of bed for a couple minutes after waking up!! I can’t believe something like this could cause so much pain

Did the pain make you feel stiff? I sometimes find that if I am laying on the couch on my right side I start getting that lower back pain

Most definitely. I can’t lay on one side for too long. I can lay on left side much longer than my right. Hip starts hurting and spreads around to lower back. Then when I try to get up altogether, ouch lol. Takes me a few to get moving.