Do you wake up with Back or Neck pain?

Remember, even the smallest misalignment held many hours (like sleeping), can cause discomfort and pain. If you already have an injury or struggle with chronic pain, the alignment piece of the puzzle is even more important.

A few simple solutions for back pain for sleeping:

• Avoid sleeping on your stomach.
• Sleep on your side with a pillow between your knees with your legs bent.
• Take the pressure off of your back by keeping your knees an inch or two higher than your hips.
• Keep your head supported on a comfortable pillow that allows for proper cervical support. Bed, Bath and Beyond has a generous selection of pillows that won’t break your budget.
• Have a custom Neck Pillow made for sleeping.  My Chiropractor helped me with this and it helps so much that I invested in an additional travel-sized custom pillow.  It goes wherever I go!
• Consider a gentle topical cream or gel before sleep. Examples include Arnica, Voltaren, and Tiger Balm.

These small changes can make a big difference in your pain level and the quality of your sleep.

My simple solutions for back pain relief come from personal experience and the successful application of these recommended practices and movements. I’ve spent the past  3 decades in continual recovery and management of my jaw, neck, shoulder, and back pain from car accident injuries and genetic arthritic challenges.  Receiving back pain relief from easy adjustments and daily practices has made a huge difference in my ability to cope with pain when it flares up, and prevent flare-ups from happening as often.  My sincere hope is that these tips lead you to find back pain relief as well.

Step 1:  Correct Seated Posture

Seated posture is the easiest for us to let slide, yet luckily, also a simple one to correct.

•  Check your seated posture. Specifically check your alignment while working at the computer, driving and watching t.v.
• Keep your knees in alignment with your hips.
•  Place your feet approximately hip-bone width apart. It can be helpful to have your knees slightly higher than your hips (an inch or two).
• Avoid crossing your ankles or legs. In fact, make a commitment to this today and always.   Sitting with our legs crossed puts the pelvis in an uneven position and consequently changes spinal alignment.
• Place your feet on a wedge or pillow to increase comfort levels instead. I use the wedges from OPTP. (see below)

Step 2: Correct Shoulder Placement

We all have been known to wear our shoulders as earrings on occasion!  Check in with yourself and practice these shoulder placement tips.

• Allow your shoulders to be relaxed and down.  Create some space between your ear lobes and shoulders (in other words, avoid wearing your shoulders as earrings!).
• Take a moment today to notice your alignment while sitting at the computer or driving.  Notice the placement of your head and shoulders as well as your feet.

Small postural adjustments such as the ones above can provide noticeable back and neck pain relief and improve your posture significantly.

Where to find Posture Support Products

There are a couple of options for purchasing the wedge.  Look it up at OPTP, a terrific company that offers physical therapy products and a large selection of back care products.  Another great resource is the Better Back Store.  A simple and inexpensive solution that I use beneath my computer desk and Home office set-up  is a 3-ring binder.  Any office supply store will have various binder options.

Let me know if you have questions or comments.  I  appreciate hearing what you discover on your road to increased energy and vitality. If you find relief, please pay it forward by sharing this (and other Simple Solutions for Back Pain tips) on FB, Linkedin, or instagram.

In this 3rd part of SSFB pain series, I’d like to share a little bit about the Back Systems machine and, specifically a low back stretch. The  stretches on BackSystem3 are easy, safe and effective.  I encourage you to try this machine if you have access to one.

Diana Bailey, my dear friend and longtime mentor introduced me to this machine 26 years ago in Denver.

Before I was strong enough to try anything Pilates or even Pre-Pilates related, Diana worked with me for several months on the Back Systems machine, the Swiss Ball and the Foam Roller to improve my alignment, increase my flexibility and decrease muscle spasms in both my Upper and Lower Back.

During that first year of working with Di, I was going to Physical therapy, Massage Therapy, and Pilates on a weekly basis.  The PT stretches helped and the balance and stability training on the Ball made me internally stronger; however, the Back machine consistently gave me relief .  Every single time!

It seemed odd to me that a little machine with simple stretches could give me such tremendous relief. Back Systems allows you to stretch in a positions that creates gentle traction on your lower spine, work you abdominals.  There’s also a terrific series for Shoulders and Lats which I’ll cover later on.

For the past 25 years, I’ve kept a BackSystem3 machine in my Pilates studios and continue to use it myself as well as with clients every week.

Try the first exercise on the Back System3 machine.

Give yourself 10 or 15 minutes before or after your private or semi-private  sessions to get on the Back Machine.

How to:

Stretch #1 The Low Back Stretch:  Start by holding each stretch for 2 seconds, then work up to a 30 second hold.  BackSystems recommend 5-7 repetitions.

This simple exercise provides gentle traction, is a safe lumbar stretch and feels really good!
(Tucson studio clients, ask me for details or take a look at the guide. It’s on the “handle bars.”)