Why Your Low Back Hurts Worse in the Morning
- Dr. Rory Dopps
- 2 minutes ago
- 4 min read
What’s Really Happening—and How Movement Is the Solution
A guide by Dr. Rory Dopps | Overland Park, KS
If your low back feels worse in the morning than at any other time of day, you’re not alone.
Many people tell me the same thing:
“It takes me 20–30 minutes just to loosen up.”
“I feel stuck when I first get out of bed.”
“Once I move around, it gets better.”
This pattern is incredibly common—and also incredibly misunderstood.
Most people assume morning back pain means they slept wrong, need a new mattress, or are simply getting older. In reality, morning low back pain is one of the clearest signs that your body is lacking proper movement.
Why Morning LowBack Pain Is So Confusing
Here’s what throws people off:
If something hurts, we’re taught to rest it.So when your back hurts in the morning, the instinct is to move less, stretch cautiously, or avoid activity altogether.
But pain that is worse after rest tells a very different story.
It usually means:
Your joints aren’t moving well
Your nervous system is staying protective
Inflammation isn’t clearing efficiently overnight
In other words, your back doesn’t need more rest—it needs better movement.
The Key Concept Most People Never Hear: Movement Blocks Pain
This is one of the most important principles I teach patients:
Pain thrives in stiffness. Movement blocks pain.
Your nervous system constantly receives information from your joints. When joints move well, they send calming signals to the brain that help quiet pain.
When joints don’t move well:
Pain signals become louder
Muscles tighten to protect the area
Sensitivity increases, especially after long periods of stillness
That’s why pain often feels worst first thing in the morning and improves as you move.
What’s Actually Happening Overnight
While you sleep, your spine should be doing three things:
Rehydrating the discs
Clearing inflammation
Resetting muscle tone
But if certain joints in your low back or pelvis are restricted, they don’t participate in that process.
Instead:
Inflammation stagnates
Muscles stay guarded
The nervous system stays on alert
By morning, stiffness and pain have built up—until movement finally begins to quiet things down.
Why Stretching Helps… But Doesn’t Fix the Problem
Stretching often feels good in the morning, and that’s not a bad thing.
But stretching primarily affects muscles.Morning back pain is usually a joint motion problem, not a flexibility problem.
Without restoring proper joint movement:
Relief stays temporary
Stiffness keeps returning
Pain becomes a daily pattern
This is why people say, “I stretch every day, but it never really fixes it.”
What Actually Works: Restoring Motion
When restricted joints start moving again:
Pain signals decrease
Muscles relax automatically
Blood flow improves
Healing processes turn back on
This is why chiropractic care is so effective for morning low back pain—it restores the movement your nervous system needs to turn pain down.
Patients often say,“I didn’t realize how stiff I was until I wasn’t.”
That’s movement doing its job.
When Movement Alone Isn’t Enough
Sometimes, even when we restore joint motion, pain is slower to resolve. When that happens, we look at another important piece of the puzzle: stress and hormone balance.
Chronic stress can disrupt:
Cortisol rhythm
Inflammatory control
Tissue repair during sleep
When stress hormones are off, your body stays guarded—even when movement improves.
This is why I often use advanced hormone testing in stubborn or recurring low back pain cases.
Why I Use the DUTCH Hormone Test
The DUTCH Test helps us understand:
How your stress hormones rise and fall throughout the day
Whether inflammation is clearing properly
If your body is truly recovering overnight
When these systems are out of balance, pain tends to linger—especially in the morning.
You can learn more about this testing here:
Supporting Healing Between Visits
In some cases, nutritional support can help calm the nervous system and improve overnight recovery.
Common supports I may recommend include:
Magnesium to support muscle relaxation and nerve signaling
Inflammatory support to reduce stiffness
Cortisol support to improve sleep and recovery
All recommendations are personalized and chosen to support the work we’re doing structurally.
You can view my professional supplement dispensary here:
What Healing Feels Like
As movement improves and the nervous system calms, patients often notice:
Easier mornings
Less stiffness after rest
Faster recovery
A sense that their back “moves again”
That’s how you know the body is heading in the right direction.
Final Thoughts
If your low back hurts most in the morning, your body isn’t asking for more rest—it’s asking for better movement.
When we restore motion, support recovery, and address stress, morning pain no longer has to be part of your routine.
If you’re in Overland Park and dealing with ongoing low back pain, I’d be happy to help you understand what your body is telling you and what to do next.
You can schedule an evaluation here:
Or read reviews from other local patients here: