Could Your Bed Be Contributing To Your Pain?
Jul 02, 2023
Success at last! This was an exciting week for one of my clients. After years of back pain which was worse upon waking and resolved by the afternoon, my lovely client is the proud owner of a brand new bed. This project was a long time in the pipeline. Unfortunately, her husband didn't have back pain and couldn't justify getting a new bed because he couldn't see a connection between his wife's pain and their bed. Due to her excellent body awareness from years of Pilates, my client instinctively knew that her bed was the problem. It was far too firm for her but she was usually suddenly pain-free whenever she was on holidays. I knew the new bed had arrived when I saw her for her session this week and couldn't wait to hear the verdict. I could tell from her beaming face the bed was a huge succes and she had in fact enjoyed 5 pain-free nights in it so far. The old bed bad been undoing all the hard work she was putting in at PIlates but now the new bed would be supporting her spine and reinforcing these positive changes instead. This was life-changing for her! Her former overly firm bed was the weak link that, despite her strong core from Pilates, was keeping her in pain. So let's look at how a bed and your sleeping position can be cause of so much preventable pain and how you can ensure this doesn't happen to you.
Why a Supportive Bed Is Essential For a Healthy Spine
When you consider that the average person spends about 1/3 of their lives in bed you can see why a good supportive mattress and bed are essential. A mattress should support your spine so you are able maintain a neutral spinal alignment while you sleep. A mattress that is either too firm or too soft doesn't promote this neutral alignment. Your choice of pillow is also important for helping you to maintain this alignment and like the mattress, an unsupportive pillow can lead to neck, shoulder and upper back pain. If the neutral spinal alignment is compromised each night while you sleep it places uneven pressure on the joints leaving you feeling sore and achy anywhere along your spine. When this is happening repeatedly each night for a prolonged period of time, it can result in permanent wear and tear on the joint structures. Ideally you should change your mattress every 6-8 years but like my client and her husband, what works for one person doesn't necessarily suit another. You really need to listen to your body and do what works best for you.
A Lesson I Learned The Hard Way
When I was in my very early 20s I inherited my late grandmothers bedroom furniture. We were very close and I missed her terribly when she passed away so having her furniture was enormously comforting for me. There was just one problem - her mattress was awful! At the time, I had very little awareness or knowledge about what a good mattress and bed should be like so I put up with that bed for many years longer than I should have. The mattress was made in the 1940s and sagged in the middle. I'm not sure what was in it but it didn't feel like springs of any type. To rectify this a piece of foam about 10 cm thick was placed over the mattress which did absolutely nothing to improve the situation. I would fall asleep on on the edge of the bed and invariably wake up in the morning in the valley in the middle and in pain! My lower back would be aching and it would take quite some time to uncurl and straighten myself out before I could actually stand up. The pain went away fairly soon after I started walking. It took me several years to realise the cause of my pain was the ancient, saggy mattress. LIke my client, a new bed meant pain-free mornings. If you are experiencing this type of pain don't hesitate to investigate further if your mattress could be the cause. Try sleeping at a hotel or a friends' house and see the what difference is. Like my client take note of which beds reduce your pain and which don't and start to build a profile of the type of mattress you need.
What To Look For In a Bed
When shopping for a new bed that best suits your individual needs there are a few factors to consider. My client's old bed was completely unsuitable for her but wasn't causing her husband any issues so he probably could have kept that bed for a few more years. The new bed is ideal for her and her husband actually finds the new bed more comfortable than the previous one so sometimes you don't know there is a better bed out there for you until you try it. My client did extensive research by testing as many beds as she could in stores and noted which beds on her holiday travels left her painfree in the mornings. it's worth putting in the time and effort as it's a big investment and you want to be sure of your purchase.
Your Sleeping Position Could Be Keeping You In Pain
Once you are satisfied you have the best mattress and pillow for your individual needs and you still have pain you need to check your sleeping position. I once had a client with mystery shoulder pain that no medical practitioner could diagnose. Strengthening at Pilates provided temporary relief but the pain always returned. My client assured me she slept in a shoulder friendly position - on her side with a pillow between her knees. One session she came in with great news. Her husband had woken up in the night to see his wife's arm above her head tucked under her head in a very awkward position. Was this what she did each night without realising? Apparently it was. She used strategically placed pillows to help keep her in a neutral sidelying position and with her husband checking her a few times throughout the night she was able to break this damaging habit. That was the end of her shoulder pain. If you would like to watch my video about ideal sleeping positions, you can sign up here to take the free 10 day trial of my online Pilates studio. Your sleeping position really can make an enormous difference to overcoming your chronic pain.
If you are ready to start strengthening with Pilates so you can enjoy pain-free living as you age, email me at [email protected] to get started. Alternatively, you can book an Initial Assessment with me here or take the free 10 day trial of JS Mind Body Pilates, my online studio and start straight away. It would love to assist you on your Pilates journey to moving with ease as you age.
If you are ready to take control of your own health and fitness then download your free copy of my detailed guide.
Learn more about what sort of people benefit from Pilates and how it can help you too. I separate the myths from the facts and share actual case studies of my clients who have achieved life-changing results from my unique Pilates program.
