I had back pain for a couple of years, starting in my mid twenties. The worst of it was in the early morning in bed, it often woke me up. I already had an ergonomic office chair, did bodyweight exercises and cycling. Over the years I bought 3 or 4 new mattresses. Doctors had no clue.
Couple years later, when another horrible issue popped up, lots of tests and a couple doctors later, turns out I have ankylosing spondylitis and back pain that gets better with movement is an early symptom.
Now I get prescribed physical therapy, as long as I do their exercises I don't have back pain. The main exercises are opposite arm and leg raise and the bridge.
No luck so far with the chronic SI joint inflammation.
AS here too. Been there with the pain-insomnia and SI inflammation. My first line of treatment was with NSAIDs, and it was a huge improvement. Later on I started with Adalimumab, and it was another huge improvement.
Pain in the lower back, iirc mostly in the muscles next to the spine. The wiki page says "stiffness", but I never experienced it like that, it was more like regular pain.
I used to have 2 different beds so I could switch in the early morning, this way I could continue sleeping. The pain also occurred when standing for long periods, and later, when sitting for long periods. Improvements with walking and moving around, and as I later learned, with NSAIDs like ibuprofen because it's an autoimmune disease. (Don't take on empty stomach).
The exercises at first focused on identifying and strengthening the Transverse abdominal muscle (TVA). During the later exercises you're then supposed to activate this muscle.
TVA: while lying on your back, feel with your fingers next to the protruding hip bone. Try to imagine you have to put on pants that are a little bit too small. Meanwhile keep breathing with your belly, so you don't tense your abs. Feel if you can sense a muscle tightening. Then first just tighten this muscle a couple days, then start with lifting part of your leg, etc.
Then you can start with bridge and opposite arm and leg raise. These are pretty well documented on google. With bridge, focus on lifting 1 vertebrae at the time in a rolling motion. With the opposite a/l raises, focus on maintaining good position of your hips, keeping them horizontal throughout, and starting off with the correct amount of cat/camel roll. Do only an arm or leg first, then opposite. Make more difficult by moving your arm, someone pushing you, unstable surfaces. Sideways planks and pushups are also good.
Other exercises we did but I never practiced much: sitting in chair with straight back, activate TVA, lift 1 leg a little. Standing up, activate TVA, keep hips horizontal, slide 1 foot forward, sideways, circles etc. We also do a lot of stretching, mainly piriformis, hamstrings and thighs.
