What is a herniated disc?
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice. Please seek medical help if you have prolonged symptoms that are affecting your ability to live a daily life.
Let’s start at the beginning with some anatomy- your back has an important supporting structure called the spine. The spine is made up of stacked-up bones called the vertebrae and between these vertebrates are spongy (inner layer called the disc nucleus), rubbery-like (outer protective layer known as the annulus) discs that help to cushion the impact between the vertebrae, during any kind of movement.
A herniated disc (most commonly known as a slipped disc, and can go by other names like bulged or ruptured disc), is when a fragment of the disc nucleus (the spongy part) gets pushed out of the protective rubbery layer and starts hitting the nerves situated in the spinal canal, usually through tear or ruptures. This can cause shooting pains, numbness, weakness, pins and needles feeling that is known to slipped-discs patients.
How should you sleep with Herniated Discs?
If you’re reading this section, it’s most likely you’re either having herniated disc pains, have a loved one who is suffering from herniated discs, or are curious about it and want to know more. Read on to find out how to sleep better with a herniated disc.
The best sleeping positions for herniated discs are ones that allow the spine to keep its natural curvature. Many specialists agree that stomach sleeping is not ideal for spine health because it strains the muscles, ligaments, and vertebrae in your neck. It can also impede breathing and cause snoring, which results in a lesser quality of sleep (for you and your bed partner). Moreover, sleeping on your stomach could result in a deeper arch of your low back, causing increased pain.
While side-sleeping isn’t ideal, it’s still better than sleeping on the stomach. If you are going to sleep on your side, back-pain experts recommend placing a pillow between your knees to reduce tension on the hips. If you can commit to a more drastic change, the best sleeping position for your herniated disc pain may be lying on your back.
Sleeping on your back helps keep the spine in neutral alignment. If your pain is still relatively intense, try placing a pillow under your knees and lower back for added comfort. This method helps keep the spine flat. For patients with a herniated disc in the cervical spine (the neck area, C1-C7), it is recommended to use fewer pillows to avoid an increase in pain.
What to look for in a mattress if you suffer from a herniated disc?
Whilst a mattress is not a cure for the herniated disc, getting one that can support and manage your condition whilst you get the much-needed rest for your body to recuperate and reinvigorate itself is critical to your quality of life. The ill effects of a lack of sleep are well known and are not just limited to poor concentration, mood swings, irritability, and hormonal imbalances. To avoid those pesky side effects and to ensure that the right mattress is chosen, below are six important factors to consider when choosing a mattress for herniated disc pain relief:
Spinal alignment
The muscles and ligaments (tissue that holds joints together) in your back need to relax and recover while you sleep. If a mattress is too firm/soft, it will not provide the best support for your spine at your neck or lower back, as it is meant to.
Firmness
Firmness levels and options will be key in determining your comfort. What’s firm enough is different for everyone. In these cases, a mattress that offers dual firmness — different firmness settings on each side of the bed — may be the right choice. Your body frame will also determine the type of mattress you need to get; if you have wide hips, for instance, a slightly softer surface may be better, as you need some leeway to keep your spine in alignment. If you have narrower hips, a firmer surface would be a better option.
*Remember to shop for the best quality and value of a mattress rather than for price. A higher quality mattress will be more expensive but may be worth the value of purchase. Make good comparisons between brands and do due diligence to pick the right mattress for your sleep health.
Durability
Adjustable beds can cause more wear and tear due to the constant motion. As a result, mattresses with longer-than-average lifespans- such as air mattresses, memory foam, and latex models- tend to be more suitable for these beds than mattresses with typically shorter lifespans.
Hospital-tested & clinically proven
If a mattress is claiming to be one or both of these things, they are most likely used to prevent bedsores for long-term care patients at hospitals- however, what is not well-known, is that the prevention care of both bedsores and back pain is very similar in nature. These mattress types allow for Max Weight Displacement, which allows the weight of the body to be evenly distributed along the mattress, enabling pressure relief that prevents bedsores and protects sensitive joints and the back from pain.
Sleep trial
If you have a great night’s sleep and wake up pain-free after staying at a hotel or in a friend’s guest room, copy down that mattress’s model number. Or choose a mattress that comes with a money-back guarantee: A growing number of companies will let you buy a mattress and use it for anywhere from 30 to 100 days and send it back for a refund if you’re not happy with it.
Best Exercise for herniated disc pain relief
Sometimes, pain prevents people from exercising but counterintuitively, the lack of exercise could also be causing the pain. There are many factors that can cause pain due to a lack of exercise, like muscle weakness impinging on a nerve, bad lymphatic drainage, increase inflammation from minimal movement, etc. So below, are some exercises that sufferers of a herniated disc can partake to ensure that the muscles around the pain site aren’t weakened (which can cause further pain).
- Partial crunches
- Hamstring stretches
- Wall sits
- Press up back extensions
- Bird dog
- Pelvic tilts
- Glute bridges
If you need help choosing a mattress to rest your back, we are ready to help you. At SwissAire, we take quality of sleep and back health seriously, and our range of products reflect that objective.
Share this article if you found this read useful ?