Sleeping position is something I discuss a lot with my patients. We spend a third of our 24hour day sleeping, thus it affects our back and neck as much as any other posture we assume throughout the day.
Most people want to know what the best sleeping position is. The main thing to consider when sleeping is to keep the spine in as perfect alignment as possible.
The two best sleeping positions are lying on your side or on your back with pillows strategically place to help your spine.
1. Side Lying
When lying on your side the top leg will automatically drop off the bottom leg, causing the spine to be twisted, this can cause certain muscles to spasm up and further irritate any existing conditions. To avoid this from happening place a pillow between the knees, this will allow the legs to stay in one position and prevent any twisting of the lower back.
2. Back lying
When lying on your back, this causes the lower back to arch more and places strain on certain joints. To avoid this from happening place some pillows under the knees, to flatten out the lower back and prevent any strain from occurring.
The worst case scenario?
The worst sleeping position is lying on your stomach, when lying on your stomach you are forced to turn your head to one side this places strain on certain joints and muscles in the upper back as well as the joints and muscles of the neck causing mechanical issues, pain and headaches.
So pile up on the pillows in the right places as they will help you sleep better and alleviate most muscle spasms and pain.
Tel: 031 201 1442
Cell: 083 233 1187
Email: chiropractic.angela@gmail.com
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