Do you suffer from neck pain? A physiotherapist reveals an easy way to relieve pain and stiffness – 2024-05-01 16:13:56

Musculoskeletal pain is very common. Neck pain occurs in more than 70 percent of Finnish adults. On the other hand, up to 80 percent of Finns over the age of 30 experience back pain at some point in their lives.

The causes of pain vary, and it is often difficult to pinpoint a single clear cause for the pain. The background can be illness, accident, or poor work ergonomics.

However, one common unifying factor behind musculoskeletal pain is poor sleep ergonomics. In practice, it means that the mattress and pillow do not support the body properly, but cause pressure points, nocturnal movement, twisting of the spine and stretching of the tissues that support the joints.

– If you feel stiffness and pain in your body when you wake up, and you can’t find an explanation for the symptoms, for example due to illness or the previous night’s snow work, then it’s worth considering whether there is something to improve in sleep ergonomics. Poor sleeping ergonomics can both cause and worsen pain, Tommi Närvänen says.

The importance of sleep ergonomics is based on the fact that in the lying position, every part of the body needs special support, when muscle activity is at its lowest. If the spine is stretched in a bad sleeping position, it irritates the sensory endings of the ligaments and capsules. As a result, the muscles tense up as a protective reaction to the wrong position.

– An inappropriate pillow is a clear cause and aggravator of neck and shoulder pain. A significant cause of back pain, on the other hand, is a mattress that does not fit the body. On the other hand, an unsuitable pillow can also cause lower back pain and a bad mattress can cause shoulder and neck-shoulder pain. If both the pillow and the mattress are bad, the effect is only accentuated, says Närvänen.

When the body is allowed to rest properly supported during sleep, the pressure on the joints is the lowest possible. Then the pain and stiffness will also decrease. This is possible when the pillow and mattress are individually selected according to the sleeper’s body and sleeping positions.

Everyone knows the importance of sleep ergonomics!

The power of Tempur mattresses and pillows is based on pressure-reducing properties, individual shaping and properties that support the body during sleep. When these sleep-promoting aids are selected individually, there is no harmful pressure on the body and the troubles are eased.

There is already a lot of talk about the importance of sleep and recovery for well-being, and people invest in sleep even more, according to Närvänen. Still, there is still room for improvement in raising awareness specifically regarding sleep ergonomics.

– We still don’t know how to connect bad sleeping ergonomics with pain and stiffness very well, he thinks.

When sleep is of good quality and sufficient, comprehensive well-being increases. It also has an effect on the experience of pain. Recovery takes place mainly in sleep. If the sleep and recovery through it is of good quality, the feeling of pain can be alleviated. Unfortunately, the same connection between sleep and pain also works the other way around.

– Nocturnal pains reduce the quality of sleep, and lack of sleep and sleeping disorders reduce the amount of deep sleep. Bad and too little sleep sensitizes you to pain and can make it worse and last longer, says Närvänen.

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So it’s a cycle that should be broken. A good way to do this is a high-quality, individually selected Tempur mattress and pillow, which are chosen together with an expert.

The most common mistake in bed shopping – don’t fall for this!

According to Närvänen, a common mistake in bed stores is that the mattress and pillow are chosen based on, for example, appearance or price, when the most important thing would be to find the best sleeping aids for yourself.

– Absolutely the best final result is obtained when the products are selected individually with the help of a trained sleep ergonomics expert. Then the sleeping ergonomics will be best fixed and the best possible solution will be found for everyone, which can also be used to affect the Pain Conditions caused by sleeping ergonomics. There are many factors to consider when choosing a pillow and mattress. The mattress must support and shape correctly and the pillow must be of a suitable height in relation to the sleeping position and the width of the shoulders. In addition, the pillow and mattress must work together, says Närvänen.

Book an appointment for a free sleep ergonomics survey here – an expert will help you choose the products that suit you individually. You will also receive a gift and coffee!

What is the mapping of sleep ergonomics like? Watch the video here!

Many customers come to Närvänen and other trained sleep ergonomics experts in TEMPUR stores precisely because of problems with the musculoskeletal system.

– A large proportion have general challenges related to sleeping. We sleep intermittently and unsuitable pillows and mattresses cause stiffness and pain in the neck, back, hips and shoulders. Inappropriate aids can also cause bad sleeping positions, which can easily cause pain.

With Tempuri, the change to the past can be radically large.

– After changing the bed, the statement often heard is that this is what a good night’s sleep is like, Tommi laughs.

You often realize the problematic nature of the former situation only after changing the bed.

– The body tries to adapt to the prevailing situation. That is, even if it gets into an ergonomic position every night, you can somehow get used to that stiffness and pain and it can become, as it were, a normal state of being. The real challenge is that problems can become chronic, Närvänen explains.

– After the change, it may take some time for the body to get used to the physiologically correct position, if the sleeping ergonomics has been wrong for a long time. However, in those possible moments of discomfort, you can feel the satisfaction that the change made will lead to better things, the discomfort is just a knocking that disappears at the point of a bad sleeping history.

Try the easy pillow selection machine! Just answer a few questions and you’ll get a TEMPUR pillow recommendation.

See the current TEMPUR offers here! Our experts also help in the chat.

Book an appointment for a free sleep ergonomics survey – you will receive VIP service and a gift worth up to €109!

www.tempur.fi | www.tempurbrandstore.fi | www.nukkumisergonomia.fi

Sources:

Interview: Physiotherapist, KNA Tommi Närvänen 29 November 2022

Ylinen, J: Sleep ergonomics. Medirehabook kudos Oy. 2015