Lower back pain is one of the most common issues faced by both men and women in Australia. Back pain can be debilitating in many ways, it can interfere with exercise, work, and more importantly your sleep.
In this article, we will explore how back pain affects sleep, and also how it can be made better through stretches, exercises, and of course good chiropractic care.
It can be difficult to fall asleep when you are dealing with lower back pain. If you are one of those people who may be experiencing this problem, then it is vitally important that you find a sleep position that provides some relief while at the same time offering your body the support it requires during the night to help strengthen your spine during its repair process in order to alleviate any tension or pain caused by disc herniation.
Below are a variety of great tips on how to avoid having back problems when going to bed:
- It is best to always choose to stand or sit in positions that maintain the natural curve of your spine; rather than those that stretch and compress these curves which may place additional stress on your neck, back and thighs.
- Many people experience lower back discomfort from exercising the wrong way or as they become more advanced in their training. Pilates is one of the best solutions because it evenly distributes your body weight – in addition to allowing for excellent front-to-back alignment of your spine! It is also important to ensure you are training the right way by utilizing a personal trainer and starting slow and light then building up.
- Sleeping causes a lot of back and neck problems, especially if you have not got an appropriate mattress and pillow. If you use a pillow to assist your posture when sleeping, make sure to keep it tucked firmly under your knees as you lie on your back. This will help prevent any issues relating to the lumbar spine and all of the pressure that might affect it, throughout the night and during the day!
- If you are a side sleeper, make sure your pillow is high enough to keep your head in line with the rest of your body. Otherwise, if it’s too high or low, you might be stressing out the wrong muscles. You can also utilize a pillow in between your legs that will help straighten your spine and keep stress off your ligaments and muscles.
- Sleeping on your stomach can create a vast amount of issues, we advise against this if possible and opt for a back or side sleep instead.
Neck ache is another common health condition caused by the stress and strain on your neck. It is becoming more common due to bad sitting posture, longer screen time and the downward motion of your neck when looking at your phone for long periods of time. Neck pain and back pain are often related. It is also important to make sure you do regular exercise to ensure your ligaments and muscles are constantly moving and staying loose.
Sleeping for long periods of time in a position that keeps your head tilted can also cause you to develop pain and discomfort from an imbalance between the muscles in the back of your neck and those that support your head. Sometimes these disorders are associated with what we call ‘torticollis’ (which basically means ‘twisted neck’). If you are someone who suffers from this we advise you to see a qualified chiropractor to come up with a care plan on how to help you relieve the pain and help you come up with strategies to prevent further damage.
