Avoiding Back and Neck Pain When Sleeping

Dr. Jason Moore

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Your child's bed. Many parents overlook the importance of a good bed for their children. Good support at night is vital for proper spinal development. Remember, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure". A common complaint in children is leg pains at night. This is often dismissed as "growing pains", but pain is never normal for a child unless there has been recent trauma or illness. The cause is usually an impinged nerve in the lower back and can be easily corrected with chiropractic care. A bad bed may be an aggravating factor. To learn more, read my article, "Growing pains: Common? Yes. Normal? No!"

Waterbeds. The problem with waterbeds is that they conform to the shape of your body, but fail to give support like a regular bed will. The old wavy kind is a novelty but will be a serious detriment to your health, especially over the long term. Many people get used to a waterbed like this and then have trouble sleeping in a normal bed. This is indeed a "fatal attraction". Take my advice and buy a good bed. It can take weeks or even months to get used to it, but it will be worth it.

The newer models have baffles or compartments. Separate compartments are an improvement, but the compartments must be filled as full as possible to provide any noticeable support. Show me a bed with 12 or more separate compartments (which would limit displacement of the water from under the body parts that need support) and I may change my view on waterbeds. So far, I have not heard of such a thing. Airbeds, like Select Comfort, are different because the air can be pressurized to give upward support.

Mattress maintenance. Be sure to flip your mattress every 1-2 weeks. Write the numbers 1 and 2 on one end of the mattress and 3 and 4 on the other end so that you can keep track and remember to flip lengthwise as well. This procedure will greatly extend the life of your mattress.

If you have a good bed, but your pain persists, your sleeping habits may be the cause.

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