BBC Morning Live doctor shares best sleep positions for back pain as Strictly star says 'they work'
BBC Morning Live doctor Tom Naylor has shared the best two positions to sleep in if you suffer back pain. The health expert appeared on a recent episode of the breakfast talk show to speak to hosts Helen Skelton and Gethin Jones about ways to deal with muscle aches in bed.
Dr Tom Naylor was joined by Strictly Come Dancing's professional dancer, Lauren Oakley, to demonstrate each sleeping position. Lauren approved of one position in particular, which she does herself regularly at home as it 'helps with her hip pain'.
As someone who has used her body physically over the years, Helen asked Lauren if she often gets into bed with aches and pains. "Absolutely," she replied. "I wake up in the morning with aches and pains as well."
Dr Naylor added: "And you've got impeccable posture. So everybody can get bad pain in the back. So a few of these may help... we know that sleep positions can make things worse or make things better."
The first position Dr Naylor recommends requires up to four pillows - two behind your head and two in between your legs. He explained: "Lying on your side as you normally would do, add a pillow or two to relax and to stabilise your head.
"Depending on how broad your shoulders are, that's going to affect how many pillows are comfortable for you. The key difference here is the e pillows between the legs."
Detailing why this positioning is important, he said: "What this is doing, if you imagine a line drawn from Lauren's nose down between the legs, this is a nice straight line, keeping the spine neutral. She's also keeping her back in a nice, neutral front-to-back curvature.
"This is what we call lordosis and kyphosis, allowing the body to relax in a nice position. And the pillows, they straighten out the hips. So you've got less slanting and twisting. So not only is this good for back pain, we really recommend it for hip pain as well."
Lordosis is the natural curve of the spine's lower back (lumbar) area. Kyphosis is an excessive forward rounding of the upper back, which usually occurs in older people due to weakness in the spinal bones that causes them to compress or crack.
Lauren admitted she uses this sleep position herself. "After a long day of dancing, it really helps my hips because I get hip pain."
The second position involves lying on your back, and instead of having two pillows between your legs, place them underneath your knees. "This is going to help keep the knees ever so slightly bent and the hips slightly bent," Dr Naylor outlined.
"What this does is it tilts the pelvis and affects the lordosis, so the curvature of your lower spine. This is really quite useful for people who have issues with disc bulges as it will change the position of the spine slightly - and it is a good one for knee pain if your knees don't like lying flat."
What causes back pain?
Back pain can arise from various factors. It’s not always easy to pinpoint the exact cause, and in many cases, it tends to improve without treatment. One frequent reason for back pain is an injury, such as a muscle strain.
In some instances, medical issues like a herniated disc, sciatica (which involves a compressed nerve), or ankylosing spondylitis may lead to back pain. Although uncommon, back pain can occasionally indicate a more serious condition, such as a fracture, cancer, or an infection.
How to ease back pain at home:
Stay active and try to continue with your daily activities.
Take anti-inflammatory medicine like ibuprofen.
Use an ice pack wrapped in a tea towel to reduce pain and swelling.
Use a heat pack or hot water bottle wrapped in a tea towel to relieve joint stiffness or muscle spasms.
Try doing some exercises and stretches for back pain.
Do not stay in bed for long periods of time.