“Brother! My back hurts!”, a phrase we hear a lot from those around us, especially during the Corona pandemic. A survey conducted by the German statistical website Statista in 2021 showed that 63% of those surveyed suffered from Back or joint pain. Sick leave for employees due to back pain is also on the rise.
Andreas Ström, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the German health insurance company, DAC, confirmed that “during the Corona epidemic, back diseases have become more important,” in an interview with the newspaper “Tags Spiegel”.
So, what can one do to prevent himself from back pain? Roland Liebcher-Bracht, German expert in pain management, says that a healthy sleep method plays a big role in Back pain preventionAnd he has five tips for that, as quoted by the German magazine “Freuden”.
First, sleep on the back
Liebcher-Bracht says that many people spend all day with their bodies in stationary positions, such as sitting, with the upper body bent forward, on the sofa, in the car, and even while relaxing! This leads, according to the expert, to the muscles in the front of the body becoming inflexible, as well as the accumulation of counter tension in the back muscles, which causes back pain.
Therefore, the expert advises Lying on the back while sleepingstraight and without bending the legs, because this gives our muscles the opportunity to relieve tension, as he put it.
Second: Do not change the sleeping position!
Liebcher-Bracht emphasizes the need to maintain a lying position on the back and advises once morest Sleeping on one side. Because this is difficult for many, the expert advises placing pillows to the right and left of the head and using them as a kind of barrier. If a person wakes up at night because his head has hit the pillows, he can pay attention and lie on his back once more.
Third: sleep without a pillow!
Although a large, soft pillow feels comfortable while sleeping, Liebcher-Bracht asserts that pillows put pressure on the cervical vertebrae, and cause the cervical spine to twist. And if you can’t imagine sleeping without a pillow, according to the expert, you can start it step by step, by sleeping on a relatively low pillow and then leaving it following a few weeks!
Sleeping on a hard bed!
Although sleeping in a soft bed sounds like a sweet dream, a hard bed is “more healthy” for the body, says Liebcher-Bracht, explaining that it is “more natural and supports a back sleeping position”.
At first, you may feel fatigue and muscle aches, says the expert, but that’s “a good thing”, as he puts it, because “muscle tension begins to go away.”
Have a healthy dinner
Before going to bed, it is advised to avoid fatty foods and heavy meals, as fatty foods and high calories, as well as caffeinated drinks cause stress for the body during digestion, and this may disturb sleep, according to Liebcher-Bracht.
The expert advises to focus on healthy meals For breakfast, lunch and a light dinner in the early evening, in addition to drinking soothing tea with lavender or lemon before bedtime. This allows the body to produce enough of the sleep hormone melatonin. This, in turn, helps you sleep well.
M.A.H/A.H
