3 Top Tips for a Pain-Free Night of Sleep

Sleep is paramount to our overall health and well-being, with a good night’s sleep providing us with the energy for the next day and allowing our bodies time to recover. However, when we have back pain, we will spend a large proportion of the night tossing and turning to find a comfortable position and wake up with a persistent dull ache, only to repeat the same process the next night. 

• Avoid sleeping on your front

Sleeping on your front can put extra pressure on your neck and back, causing an unnatural alignment and can lead to headaches or back pain. The best position for a pain-free night of sleep is to lie flat on your back, allowing the body to follow its natural curve and preventing unnecessary stress from being placed on your spine. The natural curve can further be supported by placing a small pillow under the neck and one under the knees.

However, if you can only sleep on your stomach, then you can place a thin pillow under your head and a more supportive pillow under your hips and stomach. This will minimise the stress put on the lower back due to it preventing the spine from creating a “U” shape which commonly causes discomfort.

• Get out of bed slowly

After a long night’s sleep, you want to avoid sudden jerking motions or twisting first thing in the morning because your muscles and joints have been stationary for a long time and are stiffer. Therefore, you should take your time when getting up in the morning, especially if you often wake up sore and achy. You can minimise these jerking movements when getting out of bed by rolling onto your side with your knees bent and swinging your legs onto the floor. This will help to load your muscles and joints slowly.

• Wind down before bed

Setting aside some time to relax before bed will help you switch off mentally and fall asleep faster, and it can also help towards a pain-free night. In addition, taking time to unwind will ensure that you aren’t too tense before you get in a position to sleep for the night, as tension can increase the pain throughout the night.

Heat vs Ice for Pain Relief

One of the most common questions we get asked as chiropractors is, “Should I use heat or ice?”. Evidence supports the use of heat and ice, so the answer is not simple and depends on the individual patient and their condition. 

Cold

Cold is commonly used for newer injuries where swelling or inflammation is present. This is due to the cold reducing blood flow to the area of injury, reducing swelling and inflammation that may cause pain. Your chiropractor will often advise that you apply ice to the area if you feel sore following treatment. Treatment can cause a slight inflammatory response due to muscles and joints being moved in a way that they haven’t been moved in a long time.

You can apply cold to the area in multiple ways, such as ice, ice packs, frozen peas or ice baths. When applying cold to the area, apply it directly for 10 minutes. Please ensure that ice or an ice pack is wrapped in a tea towel before applying it to your skin, as this will help prevent cold burns. You must, however, refrain from applying the ice for longer than 10 minutes, as it can completely stop the inflammatory response, which is a vital part of the recovery process.

Heat

On the other hand, heat is typically more beneficial in relieving tight muscles, stiff joints and widespread pain. Heat helps improve the blood flow to the applied area, which can help heal damaged tissue and restore movement. Applying heat also helps relax painful muscle spasms, providing further pain relief.

Heat can be applied via hot water bottles, heat pads, wheat bags, or a warm bath. When applying heat to the area of discomfort, apply it locally for 15 minutes, but ensure it is not too hot, and you are at risk of burning yourself. 

Overall, it all comes down to your personal preference, and what you find provides the best pain relief. Listen to your body, as it has a natural tendency towards healing. This is rough guidance, and we recommend speaking to one of our chiropractors, so that they can offer you the best advice tailored to you individually and your condition.

Debunking Common Chiropractic Myths

Despite chiropractic being around since 1895 and undergoing significant developments, there are many misconceptions. This blog aims to debunk some of the most common myths surrounding this treatment technique.

Myth 1: Chiropractic is painful

Chiropractic care aims to alleviate the pain and discomfort you are experiencing in your daily life. Although you may experience some discomfort during the treatment, the aim is to relieve your pain, not further it. If a patient experiences particular discomfort during treatment, that modality is immediately stopped. Following treatment, you may also feel some mild soreness (similar to that after a good workout), but this should lessen in 24 hours and be less frequent with a few more visits. 

Myth 2: The sound is your bones cracking

When people think of chiropractic care, they often associate it with cracking and popping sounds, and instantly believe the bones produce those noises. However, these sounds are due to small pockets of air being released from the fluid surrounding your joints as they are stretched during the treatment (think of it as bubble wrap). Furthermore, these noises are not the be-all and end-all of the treatment. The chiropractor is more interested in achieving movement in the joints than creating a popping noise.

Myth 3: Chiropractic is just for your back

Chiropractors are known primarily for treating back issues, but are educated on many areas of the human body. Chiropractic is an efficient treatment option for many neurological and orthopaedic issues (i.e. tennis elbow and plantar fasciitis). The chiropractor may focus on the spine for aspects of treatment, but this is due to the nervous system stemming directly from it.

Myth 4: You can adjust yourself

This can be dangerous, as you will not only be ineffective, but can also increase the pain you are experiencing. Although you may recreate the pops and cracks yourself at home, you will not be targeting the joints most in need of further mobility, so you will not achieve the same results. Chiropractors are trained professionals educated in applying the right force in the right direction to ensure that the treatment is as effective and pain-free as possible. 

Myth 5: Once you start chiropractic treatment, you will need it for the rest of your life

Although chiropractic isn’t a one-hit wonder, it does not require you to dedicate your whole life to receiving treatment. When a chiropractor first sees you, they will decide on a care plan tailored to you, your condition and your goals. Following the completion of this original plan of care, it is recommended that you return for regular chiropractic care to help maintain a healthy lifestyle, similar to your routine visits to the dentist or GP. However, this decision is completely up to you.

Making Healthy New Year’s Resolutions

After a month of feasting, socialising and celebrations, the time has finally come to look toward the new year and consider how we can make it our best year yet! New Year’s resolutions are a great way to set yourself goals. However, they rarely stick with motivation beginning to wane by the end of January. 

Some of the most common New Year’s resolutions involve wanting to be healthier, which looks different for different people. The best resolutions don’t focus on physical transformation, but on forming long-term habits. Therefore, we have put together some tips to help you make and stick to your healthier New Year’s Resolutions.

1. Decide what you want and why

The first step to making and sticking to healthy New Year’s resolutions is deciding what you want. Once you have decided on your goal, you can use it as guidance to tailor the changes you want to make. Furthermore, motivation is only temporary. Therefore, you need to find the real cause for wanting to make these positive changes. This provides you with something to fall back on when the going gets tough, and reminds you why you wanted to make these resolutions in the first place.  

1. Break your goals down into smaller chunks

People often set unrealistic goals with their New Year’s resolutions. Setting a huge goal can seem intimidating, and you may be unwittingly setting yourself up for failure. However, if you break the goal into smaller, more realistic chunks, it is more manageable. Take each month as it comes, and before you know it, you will be well on your way to achieving your big goal, and the final result won’t seem so far away. 

1. Find something that works for you

There is no point in setting yourself an unrealistic goal and beating yourself up over it. You don’t need to promise yourself you will make elaborate, time-consuming changes to your life. Instead, focus on small changes that you can still benefit from. New habits take time to build, so ensure you allow yourself to gradually incorporate these new lifestyle habits into your already busy schedule. This will help build a strong foundation, enabling these new habits to stand by you for many years.

How to Keep Winter Aches at Bay

As the nights draw in and the temperature drops, many people experience changes in their body with increased stiffness, aches and pain. This is a widely accepted phenomenon, with research suggesting that the decline in temperature and increase in air pressure causes the tendons, muscles, and surrounding tissues to expand. Everybody will react differently to the change in weather. However, those with arthritis and chronic pain are more likely to feel the effect of the cold on their joints. Despite this, there are several steps that you can take to reduce the risk of the cold causing joint issues.

Here are our top tips to combat those winter aches:

1. Keep Warm 

Although this is easier said than done, you can ease the shock on your joints by dressing in layers, taking warm showers or baths, and warming your house and car. This will help to prevent your muscles from tensing up to combat the cold.

1. Eat Healthy

Comfort eating is a common occurrence in the winter months. However, this can lead to unwanted weight, which puts further strain on your joints, such as the knees. Instead, focus on eating a balanced healthy diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables, but don’t deny yourself the occasional treat. 

1. Stay Positive 

Evidence shows that having a positive outlook affects our pain levels. Therefore, as the winter creeps in further, focus on doing what you love, arrange to see friends and find the small pleasures in these winter months.

1. Keep Mobile 

It is tempting to become less active during the winter. However, long periods of inactivity can increase joint pain and stiffness. Regular exercise will help build muscle to protect your joints from impact and strain, ease stiffness, help maintain bone density and improve your circulation. If you don’t want to brave the cold, there are many indoor activities that you can partake in, such as swimming, yoga or a simple mobility YouTube video.

Remember: The Woodstock Chiropractor has a YouTube channel with videos for lots of different stretches and mobilisation techniques to keep you moving.