What Does Your Pillow Do for Your Posture
By Sara Butler
The chiropractors at The Joint Chiropractic are interested in all aspects of posture. There's the posture you have when you're walking, the posture you have when you're sitting, the posture you have when you're working at your desk, and then there's the posture you have when you sleep at night. Many people overlook how their sleeping situation impacts their posture, especially when it comes to your pillow.
Here are a few things the chiropractors at The Joint want you to know about what your pillow does for your posture.
Proper Posture With Your Pillow
Do you know what your pillow does for you? It's probably difficult to come up with an answer off the top of your head. You may think they're simply something you use at night to get a little bit more comfortable or to flip over when you need to cool off a bit. But they're actually a tool you can use to improve your posture.
Throughout history, people have used pillows to offer support to their heads as they sleep. Believe it or not, pillows have been used for thousands of years for this express purpose, even if the first ones weren't quite as comfortable as they are today. Pillows in the modern age are fluffy and soft, but serve the same general purpose of making sure the head and body are in alignment as a person sleeps.
Finding the Right Pillow
Even though the purpose of a pillow is to help align your neck and head, that's not all they do. Pillows positioned strategically as you sleep can also help to keep your entire spine aligned properly as you snooze.
In order to keep your head, shoulders, and knees aligned properly as you sleep, you should:
- Use a small pillow underneath your knees as you sleep on your back to help support the natural curve of the spine and take pressure off your lower back. A pillow under your head shouldn't raise your head up too high, but instead, keep it in line with the rest of your body.
- For stomach sleepers, a flat pillow placed under the pelvis can work wonders to help support your spine as you sleep. But be aware this position is very difficult on the spine as a whole, so you should discuss with your chiropractor how to successfully transition to either sleeping on your side or back.
- Placing a pillow between your knees when sleeping on your side is a great way to keep your hips and spine in alignment as you sleep.
- In general, placing pillows in the gaps between your body and the bed will help to reduce strain and have you waking up more comfortably.
If you have questions related to your pillow, talk to the chiropractors at The Joint Chiropractic today.
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Mesa, Ariz.