What You Should Know About Acid Reflux And Back Pain
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Those suffering from back pain usually think that this type of pain is associated with muscular or skeletal problems exclusively. This might lead them through all types of testing and pain medications, only to find the problem is not getting any better, and in fact, might be getting worse. What isn’t always known is that there can be a connection between acid reflux and back pain, especially for those who have had GERD for a long time, and whose symptoms are not kept under control.
For the most part, the association between back pain and acid reflux is an indirect one, but unless that link is found, the condition may continue to get worse.
There is a lot of information about GERD and treatments, as well as things you can do to help with the problem. Though medications and dietary changes are the most common and helpful things you can do, there are other steps you can take that will help, but in return, may be contributing to back pain in some.
One common thing that has been shown to help with acid reflux is sleeping with your head and chest elevated to help keep acid from refluxing at night. This approach can be very successful, but if you do it wrong, you could be putting pressure on your back in the wrong way. This can lead to muscle strain and other problems that contribute to the aching pain in the back that some feel.
Sleeping on you left side also seems to improve acid reflux symptoms, however, sticking to this one sleeping position can lead to back pain as well.
Other times, back pain is simply caused by regular reflux pain when reflux is left untreated. When the pain becomes intense, it might feel like it is radiating around in to the back.
Generally, those who have their acid reflux under control, who are taking medications and have modified their diet, won’t feel back pain for this reason.
If you are sure there is no other reason for your back pain, you may want to consider it is related to your heartburn. The first thing you should do is to be sure that you have your acid reflux under control through the guidance of your doctor. This means taking any medications as directed and also learning to avoid those foods and beverages that cause your symptoms to flare.
After that, you can help your acid reflux and back pain by being sure you know what you are doing when you are trying to position your body as you sleep. Stuffing two pillows under your head is not the way to stop acid from flowing up the esophagus. This will only cause back pain. Instead, find a way to gently raise the mattress from underneath so the entire top of your torso is slight elevated. Some people also tend to slouch when the have acid reflux pain, and that not only makes the reflux worse in many cases, it can also contribute to back pain. With the proper lift of the mattress, and proper posture, back pain from acid reflux can be a thing of the past.
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When back pain and lower back pain developes into leg pain and sciatica, is there still a connection between GERD and back pain?
And if tests show the H-pylori infection and ulcer, is there still a connection?
What is lacking in todays medicine is the simple fact that we are whole. We are sent to specialists who split us into parts: back, stomach, head, ears, eyes.
But, it’s one body and one nervous system. Do you remember the song “thigh bone is connected to the …”?
Ewa -
I could not agree more. The body is an interconnected system. This is one of the reasons I think the “alternative” movement has been so successful in recent years…
Often doctors will try and treat the “part” not the “whole”, whereas many traditional methods treat the whole body.
Leg pain and sciatica would not normally be connected with acid reflux, but it may be associated through potentially poor sleeping position, lack of exercise of the core stabalizing muscles (as exercise can bring on acid reflux in some) or poor posture.
If a H-pylori infection is found that leads to ulcers forming, then this can again cause symptoms that may effect posture (pain and discomfort). But there does not seem to be much evidence that an ulcer would cause back pain, other than pain radiating out from the effected area.
I have had an intense but yet off and on “hotness” between my shoulder blades, which then twice now has led to such intense lower back and stomach spasms I had to go to the ER for morphine for the pain. All MD’s pointed to my gall bladder, but the hyda scan proved negative. This is not IBS but does anyone else with reflux experience this. There is a chance I have been told that it may be BArtonella, a tick borne disease, like Lyme disease. Because Lyme has been known to paralyze the whole gastro line up. Has anyone else experienced this?
I have been having this problem for years. I haven’t been to see a doctor really as no one seems to take it seriously. When I did speak to my GP he seemes to think my symptoms were Helicobacter related and took a blood sample. The sample came back ok but I still don’t feel 100%. There is nothing else wrong with me and I hardly ever go to the Doctors.
I’ve had heartburn for as long as I can remember and my back hurts sometimes too. It’s like Erika says above, a ‘hot’ pain between the shoulder blades and has even spread to the sides of my back near the armpits. Is very strange, well now I know I’m not the only one!