Useful! Which Sleeping Position is Best for your Back?

Find out which pain-relieving sleep position is best for your particular back condition.

http://www.spine-health.com/blog/best-sleeping-position-your-back-pain

Choosing Mattresses When You Have Back Pain - Chiro Blog RI

If you have lower back pain, finding the right mattress can make a world of difference. Use these tips to help find the best mattress for your back pain.

http://www.spine-health.com/blog/which-mattress-best-lower-back-pain

Did you know Chronic Pain affects Sleep?

How much do you know about how chronic pain affects sleep? Test your knowledge with this short quiz.

http://www.spine-health.com/blog/quiz-how-much-do-you-know-about-connection-between-sleep-and-chronic-pain

Video: 11 Weird Tips for Better Sleep

Getting to sleep and staying asleep with back pain can be difficult.  This video is an overview of 11 unconventional tips for getting better, more restorative sleep.

http://www.spine-health.com/video/video-11-unconventional-sleep-tips-how-get-sleep-and-stay-asleep?source=3tab

Adjustable Beds: 3 Questions For You

Sleeping on an adjustable bed may help alleviate your back pain—but it’s not right for everyone. Here are 3 questions to help you decide if an adjustable bed is worth your hard-earned money.

http://www.spine-health.com/blog/adjustable-bed-right-you?source=3tab

Good Posture Helps Back Pain & Sleep

Good posture helps reduce back pain. Please see the below information.

http://www.spine-health.com/blog/abcs-good-posture?source=3tab

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Sleeping Tips and Insomnia are highly common...

Pain doesn't end when the sun goes down. Studies show a majority of those with chronic pain have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep.

http://www.spine-health.com/blog/7-sleeping-tips-patients-chronic-pain?source=3tab

Excessive rest can make back pain worse

When you are experiencing low back pain, your first instinct may be to crawl into bed. Until a few decades ago, you doctor probably would have told you to do exactly that. But the tide has turned on our understanding of what is best for tackling back pain, and now the consensus is this: When you have back pain, you should limit or avoid bed rest.

http://www.spine-health.com/blog/bed-rest-not-always-best-bet-beating-back-pain

Considerations When Buying A New Mattress

When shopping for a mattress, it is important to be aware of the quality and value of each potential purchase. The following are things a patient should consider when purchasing a new mattress:

http://www.spine-health.com/wellness/sleep/considerations-when-buying-a-new-mattress

Sleep Positioning + Different Pillows

Sleep position is a key factor in choosing the best pillow for both body alignment and comfort. Fortunately for consumers, many pillows are labeled for specific sleep positions.

http://www.spine-health.com/wellness/sleep/pillows-different-sleeping-positions

VIDEO: Best Pillows for Sleep

Patients with neck pain often ask "which is the best pillow to use?" and the truth is there’s no one pillow that works for everybody. This video reviews the advantages and disadvantages of different types of pillows.

http://www.spine-health.com/video/best-pillows-neck-pain-or-back-pain-video

Aches and Pains from Insomnia

Without sufficient sleep, aches and pains become more prominent. And many chronic pains can make it more difficult to get to sleep and stay asleep. This loop can make recovery more difficult unless sleep issues are addressed as part of a treatment program.

http://www.spine-health.com/video/insomnia-and-back-pain

Mattress Guidelines for Sleep Comfort

The right mattress can really help one have a good night's sleep and wake up feeling rested and refreshed. Sleeping on the wrong mattress can cause sleeplessness, back pain, and overall aches and pains. For people with a back problem, a mattress that isn't a good fit can make the pain worse.

When searching for the best mattress, remember that mattresses are largely a matter of personal preference. There is no single type of mattress or bed that works well for all people, and there is no best mattress for back problems. Likewise, there
is no single sleep position known to be best for all people. This is due to several factors:

- There are many causes of back problems, and different back conditions may respond better to specific types of beds, mattresses and sleep positions.

- There is a high degree of personal preference for mattresses, and what works well for one person may not work well for another.

- There is very limited scientific study published on mattresses and back pain, and findings from the studies that have been completed are inconclusive.

- Overall, the causes of back pain can be quite complex, and it’s difficult to isolate whether or not a person's mattress has played a significant role in improving the pain or making it worse.

The bottom line is that the type of mattress that is best for any particular person is really a matter of personal preference.

The type of mattress one uses is not the only factor for patients with pain and sleep difficulty. Many other factors need to be considered that may affect sleep, including:

- Medication side effects

- Irregular sleep patterns

- Caffeine/alcohol/tobacco use

- Sleep apnea

- Anxiety/stress

If comfort is not the only thing making sleep difficult, it is advisable for the patient to consult his or her family physician to discuss other possible causes and treatments for sleeplessness.

Experiencing significant or persistent back pain may indicate an underlying back condition that has nothing to do with the mattress. It is always advisable for people with back pain to consult with a health care provider for a thorough exam, diagnosis, and treatment program.

As a reminder, sleep comfort is first and foremost a matter of personal preference. No one should expect that switching mattresses or beds will cure their lower back pain, and changes in the type of bed or mattress used should be made solely for the sake of comfort.

Sleep Positions for Back Conditions

An important factor that can influence individual preferences for mattresses, beds and sleeping positions is the specific back condition a person has. For example:

- Osteoarthritis. Patients with pain from osteoarthritis of the facet joints may prefer to sleep on their sides with their knees curled up (in the fetal position). This helps open up the facet joints in the spine and can relieve any corresponding pressure. Alternatively, sleeping in a reclining chair or an adjustable bed that allows the head and knees to be elevated can also relieve pressure on the facet joints.

- Degenerative Disc Disease. Patients with pain from degenerative disc disease may prefer to sleep on their stomach as this can relieve pressure on the disc space. Patients may feel most comfortable using a relatively firm mattress and placing a flat pillow under the stomach and hips, which can further reduce stress on the lower back.

- Spinal Stenosis. People with pain from spinal stenosis may prefer to sleep on their sides with their knees curled up (in the fetal position). This helps relieve pressure on the nerve root. Sleeping in a reclining chair or an adjustable bed that allows the head and knees to be elevated can also relieve pressure on the nerve.

- Bursitis. Patients who have inflammation of the bursa over their hips (greater trochanteric bursitis) can be especially susceptible to pain from a mattress that is too firm. If the mattress is too hard, a new mattress with thick padding on top, or placing an egg crate foam
mattress cover over the old mattress, can help provide some relief from the firmness.

- Hip Pain. Patients with hip pain who sleep on their sides can usually find some pain relief by placing a pillow between their knees. This decreases stress across the hip.

- Herniated Lumbar Disc. The most comfortable sleep position depends on the position of the disc. For a paracentral disc herniation (most common), patients will tend to do better lying on their stomach. For a foraminal herniated disc, sleeping on the side in a fetal position is usually better tolerated.

In general, elevating the knees slightly by placing a pillow under them while lying on the back can help many general forms of low back pain. Many patients also find that this is the most comfortable way to sleep after spine surgery.

Learn more about getting a good night’s sleep. Visit http://www.spine-health.com/wellness/sleep/mattress-guidelines-sleep-comfort

What's the Best Pillow to Use?

Patients with neck pain often ask "which is the best pillow to use?" and the truth is there’s no one pillow that works for everybody. This video reviews the advantages and disadvantages of different types of pillows.

http://www.spine-health.com/video/best-pillows-neck-pain-or-back-pain-video

Insomnia and Back Pain

Without sufficient sleep, aches and pains become more prominent. And many chronic pains can make it more difficult to get to sleep and stay asleep. This loop can make recovery more difficult unless sleep issues are addressed as part of a treatment program.

http://www.spine-health.com/video/insomnia-and-back-pain

Getting Enough Sleep?

Without sufficient sleep, aches and pains become more prominent. And many chronic pains can make it more difficult to get to sleep and stay asleep. This loop can make recovery more difficult unless sleep issues are addressed as part of a treatment program.

http://www.spine-health.com/video/insomnia-and-back-pain

Sciatica treatments, insomnia & back pain, and exercise

When someone is suffering from sciatic pain, the first treatments should be heat or ice, chiropractic manipulations, massage, medications, and acupuncture, followed by exercises.

http://www.spine-health.com/conditions/sciatica/sciatica-treatment

Without sufficient sleep, aches and pains become more prominent. And many chronic pains can make it more difficult to get to sleep and stay asleep. This loop can make recovery more difficult unless sleep issues are addressed as part of a treatment program.

http://www.spine-health.com/video/insomnia-and-back-pain

Exercise and chiropractic care go hand in hand as part of a comprehensive treatment plan to back or neck recovery.

http://www.spine-health.com/treatment/chiropractic/exercise-and-chiropractic-therapy

Are lifestyle choices affecting your sleep?

We’ve all had those long nights before. When we should be dreaming of sandy vacations at the beach, we’re awake, haunted by the slow tick of an alarm clock.

There are many reasons why millions of people frequently lose sleep at night – diet, an outdated mattress, stress, caffeine, etc. Lack of sleep is typically not a result of a life-threatening illness, and medication isn’t always the best option.

For many people, lack of sleep is the result of simple lifestyle habits. Below are a few common factors that can lead to sleep deprivation.

Click here to read more >>>

Treatment plans, insomnia, and anatomy of the sacroiliac joint

A chiropractic treatment plan will try to reduce pain and restore normal joint function and muscle balance in the short term and restore functional independence and normal activity in the long term.

http://www.spine-health.com/treatment/chiropractic/chiropractic-treatment-plan

Without sufficient sleep, aches and pains become more prominent. And many chronic pains can make it more difficult to get to sleep and stay asleep. This loop can make recovery more difficult unless sleep issues are addressed as part of a treatment program.

http://www.spine-health.com/video/insomnia-and-back-pain

The sacroiliac joint connects the sacrum with the pelvis on each side of the lower spine and it transmits all the forces of the upper body to the pelvis and legs.

http://www.spine-health.com/conditions/spine-anatomy/sacroiliac-joint-anatomy