Aunt Wang's family sat around and enjoyed a rare leisure time. Just as everyone was discussing the hot topic of the recent year, Aunt Wang's friend Dr. Li came to visit. As a veteran orthopaedic specialist, Dr. Lee is always able to bring a lot of professional advice on health to his family and friends.
Xiao Zhang, the son of Aunt Wang, a 38-year-old IT engineer, due to the nature of his work, faces the computer screen all the year round, and often indulges in playing with his mobile phone before going to bed after work, and his neck has already become the "hardest hit area" of his body.
Recently, Xiao Zhang has frequently complained of neck pain, and even his shoulders often feel uncomfortable. Aunt Wang saw it in her eyes and felt pain in her heart, and was planning to find an opportunity to take her son to the hospital for a comprehensive examination.
Dr. Li approached Xiao Zhang and his eyes fell on his obviously high pillow resting on the arm of the sofa. He said earnestly: "Xiao Zhang, your pillow is too high, if you continue to sleep like this, your cervical spine will have to be scrapped sooner or later!"
Xiao Zhang asked incredulously, "It's just a sleep, is it so serious?" Dr. Li smiled slightly, and explained unhurriedly: Although the cervical spine is small, the responsibility is great. The impact of poor sleeping posture on the cervical spine cannot be ignored, and it may lead to cervical spondylosis in the long run.
01. The importance of sleeping position and cervical spine function
The cervical spine is located at the uppermost end of the human spine and is composed of seven vertebrae, connecting the skull and thoracic vertebrae, forming vital physiological functions such as supporting the head, protecting nerves, and assisting in breathing and swallowing.
Head support: The cervical spine bears a weight of about 5 kg on the head, ensuring that the head remains stable during daily activities such as walking, turning, and raising the head, while allowing the head to move flexibly.
Nerve protection: There are abundant nerve roots and blood vessels inside the cervical spine, which constitute an important channel for information transmission between the spinal cord and the brain - cervical spinal canal.
Nerve roots from the spinal cord innervate sensory and motor functions in the neck, upper limbs, and some internal organs. The health of the cervical spine is directly related to the protection of these nerves and affects the normal functioning of various parts of the body.
Assist in breathing and swallowing: The first and second vertebral bodies of the cervical spine are connected with the cricoid cartilage and thyroid cartilage, which participate in the formation of laryngeal structures and play an auxiliary role in breathing, speech and swallowing. Cervical spine lesions may cause dysphagia, hoarseness, etc.
A good sleeping posture provides a safe and comfortable "safe haven" for the cervical spine to rest and recover during a long sleep.
Poor sleeping posture may cause additional pressure and twisting of the cervical spine, resulting in changes in the physiological curvature of the cervical spine, thereby inducing cervical spondylosis. Long-term poor sleeping posture will gradually cause problems such as cervical disc degeneration, ligament calcification, and bone hyperplasia, which will compress nerve roots, spinal cord or vertebral arteries, and induce cervical spondylosis.
02. The three "cervical killers" sleeping position
Tummy sleep (prone sleep): Sleeping on the stomach, that is, sleeping with the face down and the chest and abdomen against the bed. Although some people believe that this pose helps to relax the back muscles, it is actually extremely taxing on the cervical spine.
Twisted cervical spine: The head must be turned to one side when sleeping on the stomach to avoid pressure on the mouth and nose. This torsion forces the cervical spine to deviate from its normal physiological curve, maintaining a twisted state for long periods of time, which can lead to abnormal curvature of the cervical spine.
Muscle tension: The muscles in the neck and shoulders and back need to be continuously stressed to support the head, and prolonged tension can easily lead to muscle fatigue, soreness, and even spasms.
Compression of nerves: The nerves and blood vessels in the neck are easily compressed when the face is facing down, which may lead to problems such as facial numbness and morning headaches.
Improper sleeping on the side: Sleeping on the side is a common sleeping position, but if the pillow is not chosen properly, too high or too low, it will have a negative impact on the cervical spine.
Cervical spine twisting: When the pillow is too high, the neck is forced to bend upward, and if it is too low, it is inclined downward, both of which will cause the cervical spine to deviate from its normal physiological curve, resulting in neck muscles and ligaments being stretched or squeezed for a long time.
Obstruction of blood circulation: The gap between the neck and the shoulders is reduced due to the improper height of the pillow, which may hinder the blood circulation of the neck, resulting in hypoxia of the neck muscles, the accumulation of metabolites, and the aggravation of neck fatigue.
Shoulder discomfort: Pillows that are too high or too low can also put pressure on the shoulder, causing shoulder pain or frozen shoulder.
Sleeping on the back with a high pillow: Sleeping on your back, that is, sleeping with your back flat and your face up, is itself more friendly to the cervical spine. However, if the pillow used is too high, the cervical spine can suffer damage even when sleeping on your back.
Cervical spine forward tilt: too high pillow makes the head tilt too much, and the cervical spine is forced to bend forward, which may lead to the physiological curvature of the cervical spine to straighten in the long run, forming a "straight neck" phenomenon.
Increased neck pressure: too high pillow reduces the contact area between the neck and the pillow, and the pressure is concentrated locally, which increases the burden on the neck muscles and ligaments and accelerates cervical degeneration.
Obstruction of the airway: Sleeping on your back can also put pressure on your throat and affect the airway to your airway, especially in people with a tendency to sleep apnea.
The right pillow and a naturally stretched neck are the guarantee of quality sleep. Pay attention to the details of life, care for the health of the cervical spine, let us win precious repair time for the cervical spine in every night, and let health accompany every moment of life.
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