Sciatica Sufferers: Get Better Sleep with These Tips

Sciatica Sleep: Poor sleep can leave the body feeling off and unable to function. Not getting the proper amount of sleep can decrease health, decrease work or school productivity, and cause burnout. If it becomes chronic, it can have serious side effects on the brain and body that include:

• Chronic Fatigue
• Memory problems
• Body discomfort, pain
• Exacerbation or trigger disease

Sciatica Sleep

When sleeping, certain positions/postures can place added pressure on the spine, irritating the nerve. The best sleeping positions maintain the spine’s natural curve and are different for everybody. For example, many individuals sleep on their side. They do not start sleeping this way, but they end up on their side and wake up in pain to find their sciatica flaring up. Other individuals can turn on a specific side, and the symptoms fade or go away.

Positions

The best sleeping position for one individual may not be the best for another. A lot of this depends on the placement of the injury/pinching that can affect how certain sleep positions work, causing no symptoms, while other sleep postures generate all kinds of symptoms, especially pain. Individuals are recommended to sleep in the position that works for them, provided with the correct posture.

Side Sleepers

• Side sleepers are recommended to place a pillow between their knees for healthy sleep and pain avoidance results.
• A pillow between the legs helps to prevent twisting.
• A firm pillow will work or a soft pillow folded in half.
• It is also recommended to consider a small pillow under the waist to maintain the alignment between the ribs, hips, and the spine.

Back Sleepers

• Back sleepers can benefit from a pillow under the knees to maintain a neutral curve of the spine.
• This keeps the legs slightly elevated helping prevent the legs from tilting the pelvis and pulling the spine out of a neutral position.
• Individuals that sleep on their back but end up on their side, are recommended to use a large pillow or body pillow placed on the side they turn on to prevent this.

Stomach Sleeping Not Recommended

• Sciatic pain can become worse with sleeping on the stomach.
• Sleeping on the stomach can collapse the spine and the pelvis as there is no support underneath. This causes damage to the nerves, increasing symptoms and pain levels.
• Try to avoid sleeping on the stomach until the sciatic nerve has healed or try to train the body to sleep on the side or back.

Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression Can Help Sciatica Sleep Symptoms

Non-surgical spinal decompression therapy relieves pressure on the sciatic nerve, spine, and surrounding muscles by pulling/stretching them in small increments. The decompression creates negative pressure within the discs that floods the area with an abundance of nutrients to activate and expedite the healing response.

• The chiropractic physical therapy team uses motorized medical equipment with sensors linked to a computer-aided system to perform the procedure.
• The equipment is designed to adjust the pull force accordingly to prevent muscle resistance.
• The adjustable table also allows the spine to be stretched at different angles to target all areas of the back.

Relieves Pressure On The Sciatic Nerve

• Decompression stretches the nerve out and increases the space around the impinged and inflamed nerve.

Pain Relief

• Decompression relieves tension in tight, spasming, or injured muscles.
• Stimulates the nervous system to release the body’s natural painkillers.
• Spinal tissue healing from fluids, cells, and other substances that enter the damaged tissue.

Restores Disc and Joint Alignment

• Decompression realigns the joints and discs, preventing pain, inflammation, mobility/flexibility problems, and dysfunction.

Encourages Sleep

• There are toxins in the body, decompression causes these toxins to be expelled.
• This causes exhaustion because the body needs time to adjust after expelling the negative energy.
• After a short time, energy levels will return.
• The decompression relaxes the entire body which allows for more restful sleep.

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References

Kim, Shin Hyung et al. “Risk factors associated with clinical insomnia in chronic low back pain: a retrospective analysis in a university hospital in Korea.” The Korean journal of pain vol. 28,2 (2015): 137-43. doi:10.3344/kjp.2015.28.2.137

Radwan, Ahmed, et al. “Effect of different mattress designs on promoting sleep quality, pain reduction, and spinal alignment in adults with or without back pain; a systematic review of controlled trials.” Sleep health vol. 1,4 (2015): 257-267. doi:10.1016/j.sleh.2015.08.001

Santilli, Valter, et al. “Chiropractic manipulation in the treatment of acute back pain and sciatica with disc protrusion: a randomized, double-blind clinical trial of active and simulated spinal manipulations.” The spine journal: official journal of the North American Spine Society vol. 6,2 (2006): 131-7. doi:10.1016/j.spinee.2005.08.001