I used to use pillows between my knees when lying on my side and under my knees when lying on my back but while they did the job I did find it frustrating as when I moved around in the night suddenly all my support was gone and I had to reposition the pillows yet again. This tended to lead to a somewhat disturbed night!
With a full body pillow for support - well it is just blissful.... You are cradled and supported and comfortable...it helps to align the spine and hips and in some cases the neck as well so your whole body is supported, comfortable and settled. It takes the pressure off my back and allows me to r-e-l-a-x and certainly leads towards a much more restful sleep.
Yes it does take up room in the bed but that is a small issue and when you and your partner get a good nights sleep is soon forgotten!
There are quite a few designs and different kinds of body pillow supports so please see the selection below. There is nothing quite like a good, restful sleep.....
My regime for looking after my back and taking care of it in the long term has been to do my Lose the back pain exercises regularly and to go swimming. My neurosurgeon said years ago that I would need to swim for 2-3 times a week for the res of my life to keep my back healthy.
Now here is the problem. ... Last year I developed another condition - which I wont go into here - but essentially it means I have to avoid many chemicals and my skin is very sensitive and tender. I loved swimming and just being in the water , floating, doing various exercises it was so good for me and my back. Anyway sadly it won't be an option for a very long time... if ever. So I cant go swimming- haven't been for a nearly a year now.
This has been bothering me as I Need to keep my back as healthy as possible and I am concerned to put it mildly about going back to THAT pain I had. I am sure if you have back or sciatic pain or have read this blog you will know what THAT pain is! Anyway eventually I think i have found an option..
Pilates! I have a Pilates Reformer machine and have very gently and gradually been doing some of the exercises. i like it as it does fully support my back while I do the exercises. It was expensive BUT as I am no longer swimming and paying for that I will gradually make up the money. I do not think perhaps that Pilates would have been right for me when I was in severe pain, no I do not think I could have coped with it then, but in the recovery phase it may be proving very useful.
I still do my Lose The Back Pain exercises - I would never be with out them as a maintenance program now and they helped me out of pain then.
I am not saying Pilates is for everyone and its always best to check with your doctor ( as I did) or surgeon before trying any new exercise if you have back issues. However, I am glad to have found something else that may help me to keep healthy long term now I can't go swimming.
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Lose The Back Pain System
Lose the Back Pain, is a system of self assessments to determine what physical imbalances you may have that may be causing your pain, then specific and targeted exercises to follow to address the imbalances, along with pain reduction strategies.
For useful information and suggestions there is a Free Back Pain Book Written by the Healthy back Institute-
7 Day Back Pain Cure
This free book (there is a small shipping/handling fee for physical book) will give you a good starting point for taking back control of your back pain covering reasons for pain, pain relief, possible treatments, action plans and many other things you will find useful.
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