Hi GraceAnne - I am 14 hours in to a HUGE tiger back piece and yes the ribs, spine, love handles and bum are pretty teeth grindingly harsh. However I find it heals quickly (even at 40!) and as a fellow back / side sleeper I have only had to really push to front sleep for the first couple of nights. My worse part of healing is a week without a bra after each session. I have never taken pain killers before a session. Good luck x Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk