You’re right, but other positions help some people, too, says Dr. Carol Hartigan, a physiatrist at the Spine Center at New England Baptist Hospital. (Physiatrists are physicians who treat neuromuscular and neurological problems.)
You don’t say what your back problem is, but the most common causes of lower back pain are sprained ligaments, strained muscles and tears in the outer layer of the spongy discs that lie between vertebrae.
To get a good night’s sleep with a bad back, try lying on your back with a pillow under the knees to take the pressure off the lower back. Or sleep on your side with a body pillow that you can throw your upper arm as well as your upper leg over. If you’re a stomach sleeper, try putting a pillow under your hips to stretch the back out a little.
Many people believe a firm bed provides more back support than a soft one. If your back gets really bad, try sleeping on a futon or pile of blankets on the floor.
The real key, though, is to stay in shape, which means exercising to keep muscles strong. Do gentle stretches as well. The “child pose” from yoga is excellent, Hartigan notes. Lie face down with your chest resting on your thighs and your arms, palms up, stretched back along your sides so that your fingers rest near your feet.
You can also apply heat before you exercise and ice afterwards and when your back flares up. (If you apply heat at night or during an acute episode of low back pain, the blood drawn to the area may pool and make inflammation worse.) Anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen may also help.
If your back problems do not go away in two or three weeks, if you develop weakness in your legs, or if you have trouble urinating or moving your bowels, see a doctor to rule out serious problems.