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Sleeping in a bundle/mattress of straw is healthier than being on a mattress?

610 views 7 replies 6 participants last post by  intjonn 
#1 · (Edited)
#2 ·
Is this another know-it all chiro?
Physiotherapists say the best sleeping position for neutral spine is on the side, with slightly bent knees and a pillow between them. As someone who has back issues I do find that to be true, the spine gets perfectly aligned and there are no pressures on it. Perhaps for regular people sleeping on their back is okay too and if you google for medical opinions you find that both sleeping positions are recommended depending on your personal needs. For me sleeping on my back is not ideal for my lower back but it works nice for my neck.
Also there are many types of mattresses, super soft mattresses are horrible for the spine, I prefer a medium. Hard surfaces are just as bad for me. I would only sleep on the floor if I had a futon
 
#3 ·
I found this study a while ago and I think it's pretty interesting to see how most modern sleeping and resting positions are so different than the natural sleeping/resting positions adopted by those without mattresses and chairs. Apparently, those that use natural positions suffer from less back problems, although the evidence is only anecdotal.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1119282/
 
#6 ·
Doing this is not going to solve all your back problems. In fact I'd venture to guess that sleeping on hard surfaces would be a net negative experience for most people who have lower back conditions due to the relative discomfort you are subjecting your soft tissue and muscle groups to as a result of the several hours on the hard surface.

The whole point of mattresses is to allow your muscle masses to relax and regenerate. Sleeping on a hard surface means your muscles will more than likely be contracting to reduce the discomfort. Essentially making your body work over the sleep cycle.

With that said super soft mattress's seem to have the same problem as very hard surfaces since sinking into it causes prolonged stress on the muscles and ligaments eventually causing spine problems as well.

The general rule of thumb seems to be a medium firm mattress provided one does not suffer from significant back problems.



The structural changes in spine curvature in unlikely unless in the most extreme cases. Most often it is the muscles of the upper torso, neck and back that are stretched in those unhealthy postural positions that lead to the pain and discomfort.
 
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#7 ·
The structural changes in spine curvature in unlikely unless in the most extreme cases. Most often it is the muscles of the upper torso, neck and back that are stretched in those unhealthy postural positions that lead to the pain and discomfort.
I meant exactly what you said but I was less detailed about it :tongue:. Prolonged sitting is a way of life that changes how our muscles are used, creates imbalances and the spine curvature changes as a result. I'm not saying it's permanent, at least in theory, because in practice they can be practically permanent because we don't change our way of life.
 
#8 ·
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