Will long-term bad sleeping posture increase the burden on cervical spine?
It is really strange to say that there are all kinds of sleeping positions. Sleeping on your stomach, covering your head and crossing your legs, long-term bad sleeping posture will lead to excessive tension and fatigue of muscles, ligaments and joints and local tissue damage. Therefore, it is often heard that patients come to the orthopedic clinic to tell doctors how to relieve stiff neck while sleeping.
Many people like to sleep on their stomachs, which is the worst sleeping position. Sleeping on your stomach will oppress the organs in your chest and sprain your neck. Sleeping on your stomach for a long time can easily lead to cervical spondylosis. We all know that the cervical spine has a natural physiological curvature. With long-term work, watching mobile phones and studying, this curvature will gradually disappear. Another point that people usually ignore is that bad sleeping posture can also lead to cervical vertebra deformation, so it is necessary to adapt to the physiological state of cervical vertebra. Only in this way can the cervical spine be healthy and reduce cervical spondylosis.
What kind of sleeping position is good for cervical vertebra?
Normal cervical spine is curved from the side, so the change of physiological curvature should be avoided when sleeping. The best sleeping positions are sleeping on your back and sleeping on your side. Appropriate pillows and mattresses can create a good sleep.
When sleeping on your side, keep your pillow shoulder-height, lean your head back slightly, relax your shoulders and bend your legs naturally, which can make your lower limbs more relaxed and comfortable. Don't sleep curled up, it will be very tired and increase the burden on your lumbar spine. When sleeping on your back, your legs are straight and your arms can be placed on your abdomen or side. If you feel uncomfortable with your legs, you can put an extra pillow under your legs to keep your legs slightly bent, which can relieve discomfort.
It is difficult for people with poor cervical spine to sleep on their back or side all the time. If they can't sleep for a while, they will feel stiff in the cervical spine, and they can adapt slowly as long as they persist for a few days. But pay attention to keep it, because the human body can't stay still during sleep, and it will always adjust its posture unconsciously, and it will change more than 20 times a night. Patients should pay attention to controlling their sleeping posture and try to avoid the wrong sleeping posture.
What else should I pay attention to besides sleeping position?
Choose the right pillow.
Everyone should choose a pillow according to their physical condition. Patients with cervical spondylosis should choose pillows with low middle and high ends. The height is between 8 cm and 12 cm. The pillow core is soft, elastic and breathable. When sleeping, put your head in the depression of the pillow to protect and fix your head and neck, and reduce head movement. Don't choose an inclined pillow, which is not good for cervical vertebrae.
Step 2 choose the right mattress
Patients with cervical spondylosis had better sleep on a hard bed or elastic bedding, which can not only ensure the comfort of sleep, but also keep the physiological curve of cervical vertebra, while palm mattresses and spring mattresses are not suitable. If the spring is loose or cracked, the load will be uneven, and people with poor lumbar spine had better not sleep.
Orthopedics doctors remind everyone that people with poor cervical vertebrae should keep warm when sleeping, avoid getting cold in the neck, and don't blow at the tuyere to prevent local blood circulation from being blocked and causing pain. In daily life, patients should exercise more, strengthen the strength of shoulder and neck muscles, move their necks after work, and help cervical vertebrae to relieve fatigue.