Best Sleeping Positions to Prevent Headaches

Waking up in the morning with a headache does not seem the best way to start a day. Besides this, most of us have experienced something similar before, and probably, are not acting to prevent it from happening again.

Sleeping in an incorrect position can be the cause of shorter or low quality sleep habits, which, for instance, can lead to a headache. Dr. Jeff McQuaite, a Doylestown chiropractor states:

“Sleeping in an unusual position can result in muscle strain in the head and neck area, leading to headaches”.

For this reason, the recommendation will be to opt for the best sleeping position, and in the case we are not used to it, to follow the recommendations for the other positions.

Sleeping on your side: If you are used to sleeping on your side, please take note that besides this is not the most recommended position to sleep, it can be beneficial for some specific conditions if you do it on your left side.

Sleeping on your left side can alleviate acid reflux and heartburn, boosts digestion, stimulate the drainage of toxins from the lymph nodes, improves circulation, and help your brain filter out waste. It is important to note again that, due to anatomy and the location of your body’s organs, these amazing benefits only come from sleeping on the left side of your body.

On the other way, side sleeping puts a lot of pressure on your shoulders and other parts of the body, for this reason, even if you sleep on your left side, it is recommended to change your position from side to side once in a while. Another tip if you sleep on your side, is to draw your legs up slightly toward your chest and put a pillow between your legs.

Sleeping on your stomach: Sleeping on your stomach most feel more comfortable, but is not recommended for you, as it can put pressure especially on your back, which finally can end up causing you a headache.

Even though stomach sleeping can help prevent sleep apnea and reduce snoring this position also puts pressure on your body and finally end up causing harm on your back and neck. Finally, if you are pregnant, even in the first weeks of the baby’s development, it is not recommended to sleep on your stomach as this puts additional pressure and reduces space your baby needs to grow.

If after all these suggestions you can’t sleep any other way, please reduce the strain on your back by placing a pillow under your pelvis and lower abdomen, this will alleviate pressure and prevent some effects of stomach sleeping. Additionally, you can use a pillow under your head if it doesn’t place too much strain on your back.

Sleeping on your back: Sleeping on your back is by far the best position to sleep you can choose, besides this, a survey made by the best local chiropractor near me, reflect that only 8 percent of people slept on their backs. If this is your case, place an additional pillow under your knees in order to recreate the normal curve of your spine, this will reduce pressure on your joints, relaxing your muscles and relieving tension, which will ultimately improve your quality of sleep and even help with insomnia.

Neck Cracking: What Causes It?

We’ve all probably experienced the feeling of our joints moving around, usually accompanied by a sound similar to a pop or a crack. This is known as crepitus, and is not an abnormal thing (if there is no pain involved). But, what if there is pain when turning or twisting your head? Turning to look over your shoulder, switching positions on your pillow at night, and turning your head quickly from one way to another are just a few of the ways we might hear those little grinding noises…but knowing when it could be more than just a sound is imperative.

You have small bones or vertebrae in your neck, along with cartilage in between the bones. There is also fluid in there, which helps to lubricate the spaces in between the bones. The popping and cracking that you hear sometimes is coming from when those structures rub against one another. There can be many reasons for this, but let’s just look at a few!

-Gas bubbles. Generating the same sound that you’d notice if you cracked your knuckles, little bubbles of air can develop in between joints and eventually pop, making the sound that you hear.

-Tendons and ligaments. These support structures can move around a bit, and even though they’re attached to bones, as we get older (and in turn, lose elasticity), it’s possible that they can make a popping sound as they slide over boney structures.

-On the same track of aging, our bones and joints start to wear down, along with our cartilage. When that happens, the bones can start rubbing against one another since there is less cushion, thus causing the cracking sound.

Neck crepitus can happen regardless of age, and can vary in intensity and duration. Often noticed in the neck as well as any other joint (like knees, hips, fingers, etc.), it’s normally painless. If you notice that you’re getting stiff or experiencing pain after the cracking, please refer to your Doylestown chiropractor to discuss how to move forward and manage your symptoms.

Postural Improvements During The Workday

Many of us sit at a desk during the workday, typing away till all hours…and of course, we know we should be sitting up straight and not hunching over…. right?

Having proper posture while we’re sitting at a desk is something that takes time, and will require daily effort, especially if we’re used to sitting in a different way. Over time, the uncomfortableness that you’ll inevitably feel from being in a less used position will go away, and you’ll probably find yourself with less muscle tightness and pain!

So how can we improve our posture while at work? Since a majority of folks are sitting during the day, how you’re positioned in your chair is important. Long hours at your desk might tend to make you slouch forward, but you want to keep your back against your chair, preferably one that’s ergonomically made to fit against your spine. You’ll want to keep your feet flat on the floor, and have your knees in line with your hips. Getting up and moving every hour (or more!) is ideal as well, and will help keep you stretched out.

If you have the opportunity to stand during the workday – or even better says a chiropractor in Doylestown, if you have a desk that alternates between letting you sit and stand – you want to make sure you’re standing properly. Try and keep your feet about shoulder width apart, with knees unlocked. Keep your shoulders down and back, with your arms relaxed. Try and avoid having your head come forward; if needed, tuck your chin in a bit – this will help to keep your head level.

Postural adjustments by a local chiropractor takes time to implement, and might feel a bit strange at first…. but even while walking down the street or driving in your car, see if you can begin to make these changes, and after awhile you’ll notice that your muscles are less tense and you’ll be able to relax in your new and improved posture.

What is Whiplash?

You’ve most likely heard of whiplash, and how people can be affected by it after a traumatic event to the head or neck such as car accidents, sporting injuries, falling, and other high impact activities, just to name a few. But what actually happens to your spine when you have whiplash? Essentially, it happens when your head and neck are forced backward and forward quickly, putting your spine under enormous amounts of physical stress (typically seen when someone is rear-ended in a car accident).

After a cervical injury such as whiplash, the most common side effects can be pain, muscle stiffness, reduced stability of the head and neck, and referred pain down the arms. Depending on the severity of the whiplash, most injuries fortunately heal within 12 weeks, but occasionally some people will have pain or other related issues for much longer (especially if there was a lot of pain at the time of the accident, or if someone is older).

So if you’re in an accident and you’re not sure if you have whiplash or not, here’s what a car accident doctor says you should be aware of: any kind of pain in your neck, especially if it radiates into your shoulders and arms; loss of range of motion in your neck; headaches, which are prevalent with tight neck muscles and injuries like whiplash; and lastly, any sort of tingling in your hands, fingers, or shoulders.

Depending on the level of whiplash that was sustained, it would be wise to seek medical attention if your symptoms don’t go away or if your pain is severe. There are many medically-related ways to help treat the cervical injury, one being physical therapists and local chiropractors, who can help increase strength and mobility back to the spine. Massage and acupuncture are also other options for treatment after a whiplash injury.

However you choose to care for a whiplash injury, just be aware of what symptoms to look out for and how to treat it appropriately so you can get back to a health, active lifestyle!

What is Good Posture?

We hear it all the time…stand up straight, don’t slouch, keep your shoulders back…but, what really is considered “good” posture? If we’re talking about the head and neck, then having good posture would be when your ears are located right above your shoulders, instead of leaning forward or tilted too far back. Shoulder blades are pulled together, and your chest is open. When all of these things come together, we’ve got good posture!

When this position is optimized, we’re going to experience less head and neck stress, since everything is lined up where it should be. However, a vast majority of folks have a forward head, (i.e. from desk jobs, looking down at our phones, etc.), and this can lead to many muscular and skeletal problems.

Granted, the level to which this occurs is different for everyone, but there are ways to help correct forward head posture if it is due to overall poor posture habits – remember, if you have any kind of pain or other indications of a problem, speak with your Doylestown chiropractic doctor about correcting your posture. Otherwise, there are some things you can do at home!

One of the best things you can focus on is movement. There are many different exercises that you can work on to strengthen and help improve postural muscles – if you need help, it would be good to ask the best local chiropractor or a physical therapist what exercises would be best specifically for you. Another idea to focus on would be to remember to keep good posture while you’re out and about during the day. While you’re eating, working at the computer, watching television, driving, or sitting in a meeting, pay attention to how you’re sitting and what’s going on with your upper body.

It won’t be a quick transition to good posture, but you will slowly and surely see improvements in your head and neck position after practicing these habits – and you might even notice less stress in your upper body as well because of it!

Mobility During the Workday

We all know that sitting for hours at a desk is not the greatest for us, right? Hunched over and staring at the computer screen all day can wreak havoc on not only our bodies, but our minds as well! Being in this same repetitive position day in and day out can cause rounded shoulders, a tight lower back, and neck pains, just to name a few. So how can we balance out the physical monotony of having a desk job with some movement during the day to clear any brain fog and lower the chances of heart disease and weight gain?

One of the easiest ways? You guessed it. Move! Need to talk to your co-worker? Skip the emailing, and go deliver your information face to face. On long conference calls throughout the morning? Take them outside if you can, and get a walk in at the same time. Another idea would be to park further away from your office in the morning, to get some steps in before the day starts. Is your office a couple of flights up? Take the stairs! One more idea from a Warrington chiropractor to keep yourself more upright (easing back pain) and work your core muscles during the day is to sit on a stability ball; if you’re not a fan of sitting, look into a standing desk – not only will it help with your posture, but standing can also promote productivity and increased focus.

Even quick breaks to do some sort of physical activity every half hour or so is beneficial says the best local chiropractor.  So don’t worry about blocking off huge chunks of time in the schedule. Once you realize movement is improving your alertness, increasing your energy levels, and enhancing the way you feel overall, it won’t feel like a big deal to get moving a bit!

Weight Maintenance and Sleep Habits

Whether you’re up till all hours of the night or waking up before the crack of dawn, we all know that sleep is important to us…and getting enough is even more so. But how many of us are actually getting adequate amounts of rest? Recent studies discussed by chiropractor in Doylestown have shown that a lack of sleep has correlated with an increase in the obesity rate – and since sleep helps to maintain our metabolism, it makes sense how declining levels of shut eye would have a negative effect on our bodies.

While we sleep, our body is technically resting…but internally, much more is going on. Muscles are being repaired, your brain is recharging for the next day, and your immune system is getting a boost, just to name a few! While we sleep, our body is also releasing hormones, which are major players in our appetites and how full we feel throughout the day. If our hormones get out of whack from not getting enough rest at night, that can then lead to an overabundance of calories being eaten the next day, as well as a probable lack of any sort of physical activity – because who wants to work out after they’ve gotten poor sleep the night before? And ultimately, these combining factors can lead to becoming overweight and obese.

If at all possible, do your best to consistently try and aim for 7 to 9 hours of sleep at night; heading to bed around the same time each night will help set a schedule for you (even on the weekends!) and can keep your snoozing on track. According to the best local chiropractor, Getting enough sleep will not only help your waistline, but will also help you make healthier choices when you wake up!

You Have Choices If You Are In Pain

Pain is the body’s way of telling us that something is wrong, and it’s important to react the right way when we experience it in our bodies. Some people react to every twinge of pain as if the sky is falling — they panic, and run to the doctor in search of a prescription to stop the pain. Others try to “work through the pain”, or ignore it, which can be like ignoring evidence of a leaky roof on your house — not a good long term policy.

Using powerful drugs to treat pain is rarely a good solution. It doesn’t treat the underlying cause, and it usually results in higher and higher doses of medication.

These days, health experts like the best local chiropractor recommend staying away from a strong reliance on drug-based treatments, and exploring other ways to treat the causes of pain.

For example, the American College of Physicians recently issued guidelines that call for a wider array of treatment options for people with acute back pain. These include: superficial heat, massage, and acupuncture or spinal manipulation, such as those offered by a Doylestown chiropractor.  For chronic back pain, effective treatment can include exercise, rehabilitation, acupuncture, tai chi, yoga, mindfulness-based stress reduction, and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).

These last two have been cited in a study by the Group Health Research Institute and the University of Washington in Seattle as being effective in reducing the severity of pain and physical dysfunction.

Most of us will experience pain in our lives, and a significant percentage of it will be back pain. Recent studies suggest that if you experience pain, you shouldn’t make a pill your first option — there are other, safer ways out there to deal with the causes of pain.

RELIEF FROM SCIATICA

The sciatic nerve has a central position in the body, running down the spine and then splitting into two branches and continuing down the legs. Pain coming from this nerve can radiate through the body and be excruciating at times. Unfortunately, sciatic nerve ailments are common, and people turn to pain medications or even surgery to get relief.

However, studies have shown that natural treatment methods — including physical therapy, chiropractic treatments from a Warrington Chiropractor, and even stretching — can be very effective at relieving the symptoms of sciatica.

Here are two exercises that are recommended for relief from sciatic nerve pain.

Reclining pigeon pose. This is a yoga pose that opens the hips and stretches and strengthens the piriformis muscle, which is located beneath the gluteus muscles. Sciatica can sometimes be caused when the piriformis muscle compresses the sciatic nerve.

To do the pose, lie on your back with your knees bent and the soles of your feet on the floor. Cross your right foot over your left knee, making sure your right knee juts out to the side. Grasp the back of your left leg and pull it toward your chest, opening your right knee at the same time. Hold for at least 30 seconds on each side. Try to keep your head flat against the floor as you do the exercise.

Tennis ball massage. This is a very simple exercise that will massage your back and hip muscles. Simply lie on top of a tennis ball and let your movements apply gentle pressure to the sore or painful areas, and you will feel relief.

These are just two natural methods for getting relief from sciatica. It’s also worth investigating treatments like acupuncture, chiropractic, yoga, tai chi, and pilates. They can all offer relief without the side effects of drugs or the complications of surgery.

CAN BACK PAIN CAUSE FALLS?

If you’re an older adult who has back pain, does that put you at greater risk of falling? That was the question addressed in a study undertaken by Oregon Health and Science University in Portland, Oregon, and it found a surprising answer. The study followed 6,000 older men who had varying degrees of back pain during a two year period, and when the results were in it turned out that 25 percent of the men had fallen at least once in the first year, and about ten percent had fallen multiple times. Men with more severe or frequent back pain were at greatest risk for falls, the study found. Also, having any back pain at all was a risk factor for multiple falls — men with back pain had a 30 percent great risk for falling multiple times.

The researchers did not speculate why back pain increases the risk of falling in older adults, but there could be several reasons. Any type of back pain can make people less sure of themselves as they move around, and this tentativeness could make them more prone to falls. In addition, back pain can discourage older people from getting regular exercise, which means their coordination and muscle tone can suffer, which leads to more falls.

Falls can cause serious injuries in older adults, so it’s important to reduce risk factors for them. Back pain should be addressed right away, through a chiropractor near me or other treatments, so that it doesn’t become a chronic issue that will increase the chance of a fall.