The Best Sex Positions For Men And Women With Back Pain

Back pain will affect most of us (80%) at one point or another. And given that 70% of UK adults are sexually active, there’s bound to be some overlap between spinal woes and steamy sessions.

“Any family doctor will tell you that couples will often ask them how to manage their back pain during and after having sex,” professor Stuart McGill, who helped conduct research into the topic, said.

“Many couples will remain celibate because one night of love-making can lead to months of back agony.”

Prof McGill was part of a University of Waterloo team which sought to find “very solid science to guide clinicians on their recommendations for patients who suffer debilitating back pain, but still want to be intimate”.

So… which positions work best for people with back pain?

Initially, the researchers used infrared and electromagnetic motion capture systems to track how couples’ spines moved during a range of sex positions.

The first study focused on which stances were best for men’s backs, while the second looked at what could benefit women with sore spines.

The male-focused study found that men whose back pain is “flexion intolerant” – or gets worse when you round your back, for instance while touching your toes or sitting – should swap out spooning (having sex while lying on your side).

Instead, their results suggest, a “doggy style” approach (kneeling on the bed with your partner bent over) might be best. And flexion-intolerant men could also benefit from hinging at the hip while thrusting rather than pushing forward with their spines.

“Spooning is often recommended by physicians as the one position that fits all. But we’ve found that’s not the best advice,” said lead author Natalie Sidorkewicz.

Meanwhile, “extension-intolerant” men, who find arching their back or lying on their stomach uncomfortable, should use the missionary (with the man on top of their partner who’s lying down) or spooning positions.

“There are sex positions that someone with one type of back pain may find comfortable, but that very same position may increase the back pain of another individual with different pain triggers,” Sidorkewicz pointed out.

A separate study from the same group showed that women whose back pain was extension-intolerant tended to see better results from missionary sex with a pillow supporting their lower back.

And for women who were more flexion-intolerant, two positions – spooning and doggy-style, resting her upper body on her hands and not her elbows – seemed best.

“What we know now is that sex positions that are suitable for one type of back pain are not appropriate for another kind of pain,” said Sidorkewicz.

“These guidelines have the potential to improve quality of life – and love life – for many couples.”