Study Finds Sex Positions Can Ease Chronic Pain: Spine Biomechanics Laboratory, University of Waterloo

September 11, 2014

By Riley McDermid, BioSpace.com Breaking News Sr. Editor

A new Canadian study on spine health has found that certain positions used during sex can greatly decrease discomfort in chronic back pain sufferers.

The results of the study were published in The Spine Journal, the official journal of the North American Spine Society.

It tracked 10 healthy heterosexual couples in their mid-20s and mid-30s and had their movements analyzed by a computer as they attempted five different sex positions provided by the researchers. And it found a direct correlation between position type and increased activity in areas linked to back pain problem areas.

The study primarily focused on lower-back pain as a trigger and found that contrary to popular belief, many commonly recommended positions such as spooning can actually exacerbate a bad back.

But if couples are open with their healthcare providers and willing to experiment, they can get their sex lives back on track with only a few simple adjustments.

"Any family doctor will tell you that couples often ask them how to manage their back pain during and after sex. Many couples will remain celibate because one night of love-making can lead to months of back agony," said Professor Stuart McGill, director of the Spine Biomechanics Laboratory of the University of Waterloo's Faculty of Applied Health Sciences. "Until now, doctors have never had any hard science to base their recommendations upon."

The number of people affected by crippling back pain is significant. According to Canada’s National Statistical Agency, four out of five people will experience at least one episode of disabling low back pain in their lifetime. Of those suffering, up to 84 per cent of men with low back pain and 73 per cent of women report a significant decrease in the frequency of intercourse when back pain troubles them.

The type of pain a patient suffers will also play a role, leading the study’s authors to urge those with back pain to consult a doctor before regaining sexual activity.

“For the first time, we can give guidance to the clinicians when patients come in with all kinds of pain triggers, to give them some evidence-based ranking of different positions,” he told Reuters Health.

So which positions are best for back pain patients? McGill said the study found "doggy-style" is the most comfortable for men, while women are likely to be most comfortable with a partner who supports his weight on his arms in a missionary position.

More studies are planned to find the most comfortable sexual positions for patients with chronic hip problems or other types of back pain.