Sleep is important on a multitude of levels from energy, concentration, communication, tissue healing, and metabolic rate but did you know it could be the cause of your neck pain? There are thousands of pillow selections out there that claim to help different things, whether it is posture, memory foam imprint, cooling, you name it but the bottom line is that the head should be in a neutral position. Ideally, you want your head position fixed equidistant between the shoulders when lying on your side and equidistant over the torso if lying on your back.
Placing the head in too much forward flexion, backward extension, or side flexion can cause compression to the neuroforaminal spaces, which can entrap the nerve roots and cause irritation to them. This can lead to numbness and tingling in the upper extremities, as well as neck pain and headaches. In summary, your neck pain could be relieved with a simple fix, such as a positional change. Come let one of our doctors of physical therapy help you solve the problem and get you back to sleeping well without pain being a limiting factor.
To your Health,
Johnny Gray, DPT