Find Out Why Stomach Sleeping Leads to Pain
If you sleep on your stomach at night, you may be unaware that this sleep position can actually be damaging to your back and neck. In fact, it can be so disruptive that you actually don’t get quality sleep and may feel discomfort throughout the next day. At Total Care Injury & Pain Centers, our experienced chiropractors can assess your health and symptoms and guide you towards the proper sleeping position in Donaldsonville, LA. Here are a few of the reasons that stomach-sleeping can lead to back and neck pain.
Back & Spinal Strain
The biggest reason that people who sleep on their stomach end up developing neck, back, or joint pain is due to the strain your sleeping position puts on the spine. Sleeping on your stomach distributes your weight unevenly. Because most of your weight is in the middle of the body, stomach-sleeping exacerbates the strain put on your back and spine. In turn, this aggravates other parts of your body and can cause nerve pain and pressure. You may experience numbness and tingling as parts of your body develop nerve strain.
Neck Position
Sleeping on your stomach also affects your neck position. You will need to turn your head to one side, which puts your spine out of alignment. Hours spent with your neck twisted to one side will eventually damage the delicate structures of the cervical spine and put excess pressure on the muscles, joints, ligaments, and tendons in the neck.
Finding the Proper Sleep Position
Our team can help you find the proper sleep position to reduce your risk of aches, pains, stress, and strain. The ideal sleep position is one that allows you to maintain a neutral spine position while sleeping. We will assess your posture, balance, gait, and flexibility to determine if your sleep position has placed stress on your body and contributed to improper spinal alignment or joint and muscle problems. We may recommend that you:
- Use a pillow to train your body to sleep in the proper position
- Purchase a flat, firm pillow that maintains a neutral spinal alignment
- Stretch each morning to straighten supporting muscles and make them more limber and flexible
- Undergo chiropractic care to address back, neck, or shoulder pain and improve posture and alignment
Learn More About Your Proper Sleep Position in Donaldsonville, LA
If you’re ready to learn more about finding your proper sleep position, come see us at Total Care Injury & Pain Centers. Each of our locations throughout Louisiana is staffed with experienced, compassionate chiropractors who are highly educated, skilled, and experienced. We offer chiropractic care, posture correction, ergonomics education, massage therapy, and more to treat sleep disorders and sleep-related aches and pains in Donaldsonville, Gonzales, Plaquemine, Baton Rouge, and Port Allen, LA. Call us today to schedule an appointment.
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