Does anyone have Spinal Stenosis that is extremely bad at wake up?

I have spinal stenosis. I have had two cervical surgeries and fused from C3 through C8. Also had a laminectomy L4 and 5. Three years ago I tore my rotator cuff playing Pickleball. I chose not to have it repaired and searched for alternatives. One of the things that was recommended was dead hanging from a bar amazingly, I found out this also helped the spinal stenosis. I am 71 and I hang while I’m doing my yoga and exercises for 30 second increments for a total of five minutes. It is a game changer. I am going to put a bar in my bedroom so I can hang the minute I get out of bed. I think it will help that early morning pain try it it’s cheap and it can’t hurt.

Really has more to do with working in a hospital for 40 years... I know too much!

My fusion surgery was AMAZING 5 years ago. It should have been done years before. Find a surgeon you trust and let them be your guide, not us. I recently had a terrible bout of sciatic. It is from a different area FOR ME than the L3, L4 L5 fusion/laminectomy major surgery is. It turned out it is from L5/S1 joint. So I did many things but it vanished when we did a diagnostic test (to confirm the specific joint area) and then went back with a steroid injection. the nerves get impinged if we have degenerative disc condition, stenosis and the rest. It was painful for 2 years, but the last 4 months excruciating. Now I can increase my exercise without pain, hoping to stabilize the area better. I spoke with my pain management doctor about the steroid injection, which he said isn't as bad as steroids, which leak into other areas of my body and give me terrible side effects. If you sit a lot you get sciatica fairly commonly as an older person. We must keep our backside muscles in shape. I've had my hips replaced too. I also managed to throw my IT band out of position (feels like bursitis pain and runs to the outside of the knee) so going to an MFR therapist for that help. Now I've got to use the foam roller over it. It was SO painful to have the MFR over the IT band, I winced but it was an amazing result. @heyjoe415 Sciatica sometimes has nothing to do with the spine fusion but with joints, bad posture, and/or muscular issues like piriformis disorder. - its the result of the sciatic nerve being squished which can have many origins.

Wow 40 years working in a hospital! Good for you! You have helped many, many people over that time.

Please consider another cause for your morning pain…” While spinal stenosis can cause low back pain, it's not typically characterized by significant early morning pain, as the pain associated with stenosis usually worsens with prolonged standing or walking and improves when bending forward or sitting, meaning the discomfort often starts later in the day when you're more active; therefore, early morning low back pain is not a classic symptom of spinal stenosis”
“ When the discs deteriorate, it can result in intense pain, often worsening in the morning hours. Sometimes, this pressure is higher in the morning, causing extreme discomfort when you get out of bed. Spinal Stenosis: A narrowing of the spaces around the spine can compress the nerves, leading to back pain.”
Most of us boomers who have bad backs have a combination of stuff we’ve developed over a life time of wear and tear, some from trauma, genetic issues, autoimmune complications, hereditary components or a combination of a few. I believe we hope by pinpointing what’s causing the pain it will help the doctor provide us with a fix. PT and exercises from my HEP keep me relatively active with manageable pain plus pain meds too. I can’t take NSAIDs meds so no anti-inflammatories for me. The more I move the more limber I am but pain come long for the ride.

I have spinal stenosis and was treated by Spinal Epidural, I also have Poly Arthritis (In every main joint), l used to wake up very stiff and not a good range of movement for a couple of hours, l realised it was Pelvic/spinal arthritis not my spinal stenosis, l was advised by a friend to take Tumeric, which l did, and the result was great, yes l have some stiffness in the mornings but nowhere near as what l used to get.
So may l suggest that it may be Arthritis is your problem, as l found that my Spinal Stenosis causes Sciatica and direct pain not aches and stiffens.