Clients often share that they have tried physical therapy, chiropractic, and massage and “nothing works.” Or they feel better for 1-2 days, maybe a couple of weeks, and the pain returns. While there are plenty of reasons this can happen, one thing I often ask about is: sleep.
Sleep, as most of us know, is important to recovery, managing stress, etc. But when it comes to pain relief the thing I am most interested in is: How are you sleeping? Specifically, what position?
Think about it: When you get a massage we spend over an hour coaxing your muscles back into relaxation. When you sleep 6-9 hours in an awkward twisted position, you hold your muscles in a contracted (or lengthened) state over and over again. The math doesn’t math. You could be getting biweekly, even daily massage, and IF you are still spending 6-9 hours in awkward sleep positions, the pain is likely to return.
Those experiencing pain, and specially neck, shoulder, elbow and hand/wrist pain, would see a significant decrease in pain by sleeping in a neutral position.
So what is the best sleep position? Face up on your back. Not many people sleep like this, but like with everything, we can make it into a habit.
Pro tips: It helps to use a rolled up towel or a roll type pillow about 3 inches thick (or the length of your middle finger) to help support your neck and keep it from twisting to one side. Also, place a small pillow under your knees to prevent any tension in your lower back. If you have reflux, congestion, or are prone to snoring, use a small wedge pillow under your torso to keep your face up but with your head elevated.
If you’ve already tried sleeping on your back and it’s just not happening, never gonna happen, you can try sleeping on your side but with some really important modifications:
Use a thick yoga bolster (about 10 inches thick) to hug in front of your chest so that your torso and upper arm don’t fall over and hold you in a shrug position for hours and hours.
Use another yoga bolster (8 inches thick) place your upper leg and knee over. This will prevent your lower body from collapsing into your mattress and will really help with low back pain. See image below.
I suggest bolsters because unlike pillows, they will not squish down as much, but you can also stack multiple pillows until you they hold you in a very neutral sideways position. As long as your body is not leaning forward into your mattress, you can use pillows or bolsters. Remember to also keep your head and neck in line with your spine.
The 2nd simplest thing you can do is get a massage! If you’re ready to try clinical massage therapy to help relief your low back, hip or knee pain book your appointment today! Austin Living Massage is conveniently located close to Rollingwood, Westlake Hills and Lost Creek next to Rudy’s BBQ on 360.
Comments