It happened again. Another restless night spent tossing and turning. Waking up with a crick in your neck. Back pain that seems to be the worst in the morning. You’ve tried everything you can think of: getting a fluffier pillow, investing in professional massages, flipping the mattress over, even buying a completely new mattress!
Why does nothing seem to help?
Believe it or not, if you’ve been experiencing back problems or neck pain the solution isn’t to get a memory foam pillow or some kind of luxury brand mattress. In fact, any discomfort that keeps you up at night or seems to increase in the a.m. is more than likely a pre-existing issue with your spine; likely a curvature of sorts.
Here are a few easy tests you can perform at home to see if that’s actually the case:
1. Selfie – Take a “selfie” and see if one shoulder is noticeably higher than the other…if there is a visible difference in shoulder height, it is a sign of a spinal issue (snap a few photos of yourself just to be sure).
2. Lean – Gently lean your ear toward one shoulder and then repeat with the other ear leaning toward the other shoulder…if you can lean further one way, there is likely a problem with your spine.
3. Rotation – Slowly turn your head to look over your right shoulder, and then rotate to look over your left shoulder…if there is a discrepancy in your range of motion, this is a sign of a spinal problem.
It’s definitely worth it to take a few minutes to try one, or all, of these simple tests.
Fancy mattresses, pillows and massages don’t come cheap (they can easily add up to thousands of dollars). It’s an investment, and one you don’t want to make unnecessarily.
If you have a spinal problem, what’s the culprit?
Even if you’ve never thought of yourself as having a neck or back issue, it’s important to consider a number of factors from your past that have, unbeknownst to you, contributed to your current state of pain or discomfort.
We can help you determine the underlying causes of your pain or discomfort by assessing your distant and recent history in the following areas:
- Significant and specific stresses – when/if major life changes have occurred over the years and how your body responded then and now.
- Injuries– those that have occurred recently and in years past like sports, car accidents and falls, as these can lead to health problems.
- Medications and nutritional habits – everything you put in your body can have an impact on your current and future health.
Back to the original question.
In determining what mattress or pillow is right for you, the real answer is: whichever one you find to be most comfortable. The secret to alleviating back and neck pains and getting a good night’s rest is to get an evaluation by a true functional practitioner.
More about Dr. Chad Cohoon
Dr. Cohoon is not only your Functional Healthcare provider in Frisco, Texas, his practice is the flagship Functional Health Center in America. Dr. Cohoon has been providing an alternative to traditional healthcare since 1995, having impacted the lives of thousands of patients from all over the country. A severe asthma sufferer as a child, Dr. Cohoon decided early on that something different should occur with healthcare, and he wanted to be a part of it. Read More