Gibsons Chiropractic Blog

If you are lucky enough to be snuggling up in bed with a loved one this Valentine’s Day, take care and play it safe!

According to the Canadian Chiropractic Association, many people sleep badly and suffer preventable spinal pain due to their beds being too hard or too soft for their body type. The caution for this Valentine’s Day is to pay attention to sleeping posture and ensure you have a suitable mattress and pillows to guarantee a night of uninterrupted bliss.

Sleeping on your back puts 55 lbs. of pressure on your spine. Lying on your side with a pillow between your knees reduces the disc pressure to 40 lbs. Putting a couple of pillows under your knees while lying on your back will take most of the pressure off your spine (only 25 lbs. of pressure). 

If a mattress is too hard it causes pressure points and reduced circulation, requiring the muscles to work harder to keep the spine straight. However, if a mattress is too soft, then the spine may sag out of alignment and again create tension leading to dysfunction and pain.

Ideally, a mattress should be firm, comfortable and supportive, but not too hard as has been recommended by some specialists in the past. The line of your spine should be straight when lying on your side, and a natural curve maintained when sleeping on your back.

Chiropractors frequently notice that a variety of spine-related disorders become recurrent and chronic due to adverse stress from a bad bed. When you spend one-third your life in bed, it is important to choose the best possible mattress we can afford and look after it well!

One of the main reasons mattresses cause back trouble is that they are not replaced regularly enough. Manufacturers and chiropractors recommend changing a mattress approximately every 10 to 13 years, depending on how it is cared for. The following tips are recommended for maintaining the life of a mattress:

• Never fold or bend the mattress
• Rotate the mattress by turning it end to end every three months
• When cleaning use a vacuum cleaner, and do not wet the mattress
• When choosing a new mattress, lie on it as many different ways as possible in the store.

Some signs that the mattress may need replacing include annoying peaks, dips or lumps or waking up stiff and sore after sleeping on the mattress.

It is recorded that 80% of people suffer back pain at some stage of their lives, and because every body is different, it is important to choose a bed with the right support and comfort for the individual.

Valentine’s Day shouldn’t be a pain in the back!