UCPPS - Prostatitis, Interstitial Cystitis Forum

Gentlemen;
I've been having this problem for years. I realize symptoms come and go and severity varies enormously over time. However, during a particularly bad period about 3 months ago, I tried something that seems to have reduced my symptoms enormously. I won't bore you with the reasoning and experiences that led me to try this approach, but I can say that I felt much better after a week, and, after 3 months my symptoms have been reduced considerably (but not eliminated). I still have periods when symptoms flare but I get them under control much quicker now.
The change in my life that seems to help is forcing myself to sleep on my back with a pillow under my knees. Seems crazy, but it helps. All my life I have been a side-sleeper so sleeping on my back did not come easy. However, after sleeping on my back with knees lifted for a couple of nights, my symptoms eased and have continued to be much reduced. I still have periods when symptoms flare, but invariably, a night's sleep on my back helps much. Who knows, maybe sleeping in that position helps to reduce tension in those muscles.
Anyway, thought I would post this since perhaps it might actually help.

That seems very possible depending on which muscles are causing your pain. For me I can't sleep on my side unless I scissor my legs very wide. If I keep my legs together while laying on my side I wake up very tight in the perineum area. I did notice that when I sleep on my chaise (a long cushon on the end of my sectional couch) with my head and lower back on the back of the couch so I'm in a slouched position with my feet up on the chaise I rarely awake with any pain. So possibly something about keeping our bodies semi folded is allevaiting some muscle tension. It makes sense. I wonder how it would be sleeping on one of the special beds you see on the infomercials. The ones that fold up that older adults often buy, hmm.

The orginal poster could be relieving a nerve problem in his spine by lying on his back with legs raised. It is possible, I believe, for lumbar spine problems to lead to pelvic inflammation via cross-talk and other neurological phenomena.

maybe sleeping in that position helps to reduce tension in those muscles.
Anyway, thought I would post this since perhaps it might actually help

That's maybe possible . Do you have trigger points in your Abdomen ?
to release the tension in those muscles , My PT suggest the same position as you describe.

I've been sleeping with a backrest pillow under my knees since 1987 after having back surgery due to a car accident. My orthopedic surgeon said it removes all tension from your lower back and lower abdomen so yeah it does the trick for me too. I typically feel like a million bucks in the morning.

If you're a side sleeper, try keeping your knees bent at a 45 degree angle and wedge that pillow between your legs so your knees are a 4-8 inches apart. You'll feel those muscles relax right away. I sleep in both positions and could never sleep without it now!

Cheers,