Sleeping Posture

Detrimental positions, postures, and activities are obstacles to healing. We are going to discuss ONE significant variable that, when corrected, allows patients to heal more quickly — SLEEP POSTURE.

The frequently overlooked problem — SLEEP POSTURE.

Musculoskeletal symptoms frequently surface at night. As sleep comprises one-third of our lives, this correlation deserves significant attention and patient education. When you sleep is typically also when you heal. Why not give tissue the best chance to recover during sleep? Improper sleeping postures may impede blood flow, directly compress tissue, or stretch injured structures, all of which affect the inflammatory process.

This is most problematic to those conditions that are caused by ischemia, i.e., tendinopathies and neuropathies. However, all healing and recovery require an inflammatory process to build new tissue while simultaneously removing unwanted debris. Unfortunately, some sleep positions negatively affect the healing process, resulting in delayed healing, poor sleep, and prolonged symptoms.