Climbing into bed at night should feel like a welcome relief. But for people with back pain, the discomfort doesn’t necessarily stop just because the day is ending. In fact, people with chronic back pain are also likely to have disrupted sleep.
Luckily, there’s a simple step you can take when you settle into your favorite sleeping position to reduce your discomfort in bed. And all you need is a pillow.
How to use a pillow to align your spine
Here’s how it works: If you sleep on your side with your knees bent, place a pillow in between your legs. If you sleep on your back, position a pillow underneath your knees.
The idea is to support the natural curves in your spine and keep your spine and hips in alignment to reduce pressure on your joints, said Carolyn Keeler, a physical medicine and rehabilitation physician specializing in spine and lifestyle medicine at Duke University.
For similar reasons, experts generally do not recommend sleeping on your stomach, especially if you have back pain. Stomach sleeping puts the most pressure on your neck and back, and that pressure works against the natural curves of your spine and can lead to pain.
The pillow strategy works a little differently depending on your typical sleep position. If you sleep on your side with a pillow between your knees, “the pillow prevents twisting of the spine that can occur when the top leg falls over the bottom leg,” said Brian Nwannunu, an orthopedic surgeon at the Texas Joint Institute. “The pillow helps maintain the natural alignment of the hips, pelvis and spine, which can take the strain off the lower back and joints, ultimately improving your posture and the overall quality of the night’s sleep.”
If you tend to sleep on your back, try putting the pillow under your knees, as it can help relax tight hip muscles that might otherwise contribute to lower back pain, he said. You can also add a rolled-up towel under your lower back for more support in this position.
Extra support from a pillow — either under or between your knees — can be particularly helpful for people with osteoarthritis of the spine and during pregnancy, Keeler added. If you’re pregnant, you might get additional relief by placing another pillow under your abdomen to support your belly while sleeping on your side.
No matter why you’re turning to extra pillows for comfort while you sleep, it never hurts to talk to a trusted health care provider about what you’re experiencing. They may have other suggestions to help you reduce pain in bed and get more restful sleep.
What kind of pillow should you use?
There’s no specific pillow you need to reduce pain while you sleep. “I have seen some people spend an exorbitant amount of money trying to find the perfect pillow,” Keeler said. “It is usually unnecessary to buy a variety of pillows, as towels or blankets can be folded or rolled to provide support, either with a pillow or on their own.”
Experiment with spare pillows you might have at home and see what feels comfortable for you. Keep in mind that, “in general, a firm or medium-firm pillow should be used to support and maintain a neutral spinal alignment,” Nwannunu said. “Pillows that are too soft may flatten under the weight of the person, which would render the pillow ineffective at maintaining the alignment.”
While you’re at it, don’t forget about the pillows under your head. Your neck should also be in alignment with the rest of your spine, not bent, elevated or craned. “Pillows that are too high may cause hyperflexion at the neck, which can also lead to” pain, he said.
There’s no standard measure of “too high” that applies to everyone. Rather, it’s about experimenting with different pillow options until you find your perfect fit. Then, you should also make sure you’re replacing your pillows when they lose their ability to support your head in the correct position.
If you’re set on sleeping on your stomach — or you just end up in that position no matter how hard you try — choose a very thin pillow or skip the pillow altogether to optimize neck alignment, Keeler said. A pillow under your pelvis might also help you avoid low-back pain in this position, she added.
If you do need to buy a pillow for supporting your legs or your head, visit a store where you can get a feel for the materials, shapes and firmness available. “Each individual’s posture, alignment and firmness needs are personalized,” Nwannunu said. “The best way to find out what pillow is best is to try it out.”
The post One simple thing you can do while sleeping to reduce back pain appeared first on Washington Post.
