Scoliosis is a sideways spine curvature that affects your postural alignment, resulting in back stiffness or discomfort throughout the day and night. Chronic pain can make it challenging to fall and stay asleep, and tossing and turning all night in search of a comfortable position can leave you fatigued and grumpy the next day.

Modifying your sleep position and resting on a supportive mattress can significantly improve your sleep quality, improving your well-being throughout the day. Learn tips for the best way to sleep with scoliosis in this guide.

How Does Scoliosis Affect Sleep?

You may do physical therapy or at-home exercises to improve your posture, but supporting your spine at night is also essential. If you have scoliosis, sleep modifications can significantly increase your comfort and decrease stiffness when you wake up.

Some professionals believe proper sleep positioning can prevent scoliosis progression. Rest is vital for your physical and mental health. Getting between seven and nine hours of sleep per night is ideal, and learning how to sleep with scoliosis is an excellent way to achieve this. 

Best Scoliosis Sleeping Position

Lying on your back is typically the best scoliosis sleeping position because it helps your entire spine remain elongated, preventing twisting and bending. However, many people prefer to sleep on their sides or stomachs. Getting a complete night’s rest is always a priority when sleeping with scoliosis, and modifying your overnight body position can help. Consider the following tips to find the best sleep position for you.

Back Sleeping

Providers usually recommend back sleeping for scoliosis. Your pillow placement can increase your comfort if you have always preferred back sleeping or want to try it.

Put a thin pillow under your neck to avoid propping your head up too high and prevent neck flexion. A strategically placed pillow puts your neck in a more natural, scooped position. If lying on your back with your legs flat on the bed pulls on your pelvis and lifts your lower back into an arched position, slide a few pillows under your knees.

Side Sleeping

If you prefer sleeping on your right or left side, try to keep your legs and pelvis level. When you are on your side, your top leg is prone to stretch outward and angle down, which tilts the pelvis upward to compensate. A pillow between your knees and ankles puts your top leg in a horizontal position, minimizing asymmetrical tension on your legs and back.

Stomach Sleeping

If you have scoliosis, lying on your stomach for an extended period can potentially exacerbate the spine’s arching. Additionally, bending and propping up one knee while lying on your stomach can emphasize your pelvis rotation and shift.

Stomach sleeping can also cause discomfort if your scoliosis has a significant structural component. In this case, a section of your spine may be stiffer than others, causing other parts to overcompensate while you sleep. For example, if your upper spine is stiff, your lower spine may hyperextend when sleeping on your stomach.

You can modify your stomach sleeping position by placing pillows under your abdomen and pelvis. You may need to adjust the pillows’ thickness and placement a few times before finding the most comfortable solution. You want to reduce the arch in your spine without lifting the lower vertebrae too high. 

Like back sleeping, you should have a thin pillow under your head to avoid overextending your neck and upper back. Extending both legs straight out also helps support your spine while sleeping on your stomach.

Finding the Best Position for You

Talking with a spine specialist is the best way to determine your ideal sleeping position. Every scoliosis patient has a unique spine structure, and an experienced specialist can evaluate your condition and progression to recommend the healthiest, most comfortable solution.

Best Type of Mattress for Scoliosis

Medium-firm mattresses are ideal for people with scoliosis because they offer maximum spinal support, allowing your hips and shoulders to sink slightly without bending your spine. It’s best to avoid an overly firm mattress because it can apply too much pressure to your spine. In contrast, an excessively soft mattress can magnify your spine’s curvature.

Should I Wear a Scoliosis Brace to Bed?

Health providers sometimes prescribe a back brace to prevent spine curvature progression. While this is more common for adolescents with scoliosis, some adults benefit from braces. If a spine specialist recommends you wear a back brace, ask them how many hours you should keep it on and if you should wear it at night. Sleeping on your back is typically best when wearing a brace, but your provider can recommend the ideal position based on your spine structure.  

What Can I Do if I Experience Chronic Pain?

If you change your sleep position and try a new mattress but still experience discomfort, scoliosis treatment can help. A spine specialist can evaluate your spine and recommend treatment options such as bracing or surgery. Endoscopic spine surgery can decompress pinched nerves, and a spinal fusion can stop spine curvature progression.

Find Scoliosis Relief With Desert Institute for Spine Care

Sleep modifications can help you live comfortably with scoliosis. Adjust your sleep position and rest on a medium-firm mattress to fall asleep faster and wake up feeling refreshed and healthy. 

Desert Institute for Spine Care provides compassionate spine care, using minimally invasive surgical interventions and non-surgical solutions to increase your daily comfort. We take a multidisciplinary approach to scoliosis diagnosis and treatment to help our patients enjoy a higher quality of life.

DISC is a leader in minimally invasive spine procedures, and our board-certified surgical specialists have the knowledge and experience to provide you with the best care. Contact us to schedule an appointment and learn how we can help you increase back comfort.

Scoliosis is a condition that causes a sideways spinal curvature. While it commonly appears in young children, it can also begin causing symptoms during adulthood. Scoliosis can be challenging to diagnose, but understanding the signs can help you recognize it faster and seek medical advice concerning treatment. 

People with mild cases can typically continue without treatment, but some patients with more acute curvature can benefit from bracing or surgery. Minimally invasive surgical solutions can increase your comfort and mobility if you have scoliosis. 

What Is Scoliosis?

Scoliosis is a spinal abnormality affecting approximately 3% of Americans. It causes the spine to take on a C or S shape, and can affect different areas of the spine. Some people with scoliosis have minimal or mild spinal curvature, while others have significant curvature that requires specialized treatment or surgery.

Most scoliosis cases are idiopathic — in other words, health professionals are unsure what causes it. Despite the unexplained cause, the medical community believes several factors such as hormones, genes and structural cell changes play a role in idiopathic scoliosis development. Spinal injuries, neuromuscular diseases and tumors can cause non-idiopathic scoliosis. Traumatic injuries and tumors can change the spine, and some neuromuscular diseases alter how nerves communicate with muscles, weakening the muscles surrounding the spine.

Congenital scoliosis develops in the womb before birth, and neuromuscular scoliosis occurs due to a muscular or neurological condition such as cerebral palsy, a spinal cord injury or muscular dystrophy.

Warning Signs of Scoliosis

You should visit a spine specialist if you notice the following scoliosis symptoms.

• Uneven shoulders: Scoliosis can push one shoulder higher than the other. 
• Protruding shoulder blade: A curved spine can also push one shoulder blade outward in the upper back, making it more visible or prominent than the other.
• Higher rib cage or hip: Scoliosis can also affect your hip or rib cage alignment, causing asymmetry where one side is higher. 
• Pain: Significant spine curvature can cause back pain as it progresses.
• Challenges in finding clothing that fits: Some scoliosis cases cause significant misalignment, making it hard to find well-fitting clothes.

How to Get a Scoliosis Diagnosis

A spine specialist has the knowledge and experience to test you for scoliosis and make an accurate diagnosis. When you visit a spine specialist, your provider may order an X-ray to get a comprehensive view of your spine and evaluate the size of the curve. Spine specialists also use a scoliometer to measure your spine’s curvature, determine if you require treatment and track curvature progression through further observation. 

Scoliosis Treatment

If a spine specialist diagnoses you with scoliosis, they may recommend one or all the following treatments depending on your spinal curvature, progression and age.

Observation

Observation allows spine specialists to track changes in your spine. Periodic checkups can reveal how progressive the scoliosis is and how quickly it alters your spine’s alignment. Providers closely observe scoliosis cases in children because their spines are still growing and developing. However, your provider may also want to examine you as an adult if your condition shows signs of quick progression. A non-progressing case of scoliosis may have minimal impact on your daily life, but a progressive case typically requires intervention to prevent discomfort and further curvature.

Bracing

Bracing is more common during childhood and adolescence, but you may also benefit from a brace if you develop scoliosis or find your condition worsening during adulthood. Wearing a specialized back brace for a prescribed period during the day or night supports the spine to prevent its curvature from progressing. If a provider recommends this solution, they will tell you how many hours to wear the brace daily.

Spinal Injections

Spinal injections are a short-term pain management solution. A provider can inject a local anesthetic and steroids into the affected areas of your back, providing pain relief for a few months or weeks.

Surgery

Some scoliosis cases improve with surgery. While most people don’t need surgery for their scoliosis, you should consider it if you have the following problems:

• Severe spine curvature that affects your daily life
• Rapidly progressing spine curvature
• Nerve compression or irritation in the spine
• Severe back pain that non-surgical treatments don’t relieve

Your provider may recommend one of the following solutions if you need scoliosis surgery.

• Spinal fusion: A spinal fusion procedure fuses two or more vertebrae, stabilizing, straightening and strengthening the spine to relieve scoliosis symptoms.
• Lumbar decompression: Lumbar decompression involves a discectomy, laminectomy, spinal fusion or a combination of these. During a discectomy, a surgeon removes part of a damaged disc to relieve nerve pressure. During a laminectomy, a surgeon removes a section of bone from a vertebra to alleviate nerve pressure and enlarge the spinal canal.

Spine specialists offer minimally invasive procedures to increase post-surgery comfort and reduce or prevent scarring. You can expect a faster, easier recovery time following a minimally invasive surgery like an endoscopic procedure.

Seek Minimally Invasive Scoliosis Treatment at Desert Institute for Spine Care

Recognizing the signs of scoliosis can help you seek treatment when necessary. While scoliosis is often non-problematic and requires no treatment, it can sometimes cause discomfort and significant misalignment. Managing your spine’s curvature and comfort level can increase your mobility and quality of life. Desert Institute for Spine Care offers expert diagnosis, careful observation and cutting-edge scoliosis treatment.

Our spine specialists have the knowledge, training and experience to accurately diagnose your scoliosis and recommend the best treatment options. As leaders in minimally invasive spine care, we determine the least invasive procedure that will bring you the best possible results, helping you enjoy a faster, more comfortable recovery time. Contact DISC to schedule an appointment and learn more about our compassionate care and innovative treatment solutions.

Your back has 33 bones, plus your shoulder blades, ribs and collar bones. There is a large number of tendons, muscles and tissues, as well as deep muscles and superficial ones. A lot of mechanics and movability go into ensuring your head stays aligned with your spine and that your shoulders, neck and arms all move correctly, as well as the back itself. You can twist, turn, reach, rotate and contact all within the space. And yet, compared to the lower back, the upper back is not as well documented in terms of spinal pain. That just shows you what a protected, working machine it is.

That isn’t to say it doesn’t happen. Approximately 15-19% of people in the U.S. suffer from chronic upper pain in their lives, and 30.7% of adults have upper back pain in general. Let’s discuss what you can do immediately and long term to help your injury as well as understand what it is.

Understanding a Pulled Upper Back Muscle

The upper back, also called the thoracic region, is made up of several components. Here are a few of the muscles involved:

• Trapezius: This muscle resembles the shape of a trapezoid, hence the name. It extends all the way from the neck to the mid-back section and across the shoulders. 
• Rhomboids: Underneath the Trapezius is the slanted rectangle muscle called the Rhomboids. They connect the scapula and are needed to retract and elevate the bone. 
• Latissimus dorsi: This is a broad, flat muscle that extends on either side of the back. It helps move the arm movement and provides stability. 
• Erector Spinae: The erector spinae is a collection or group of muscles that run along the spine. They are responsible for maintaining posture and bending movements. 

Signs of a Pulled Back Muscle

Pulled muscles can display a mix of symptoms depending on how the condition occurred. The following are observations often found with pulled muscles in the back:

• Localized pain and stiffness: We are all familiar with the first sign. You get up from sitting or reach forward for something, and you feel that sharp, acute pain in the upper back area. Certain movements that involve the neck and shoulders will trigger it. GStiffness is not as painful but is more of a general area issue. Movements like turning your head or bending over just feel like a hassle. 
• Spams: This is similar to a cramp where a movement might trigger it, and your muscle involuntarily contracts and strains. It is alarming, and the pain is acute. Gentle massaging the area can help just ease those muscles.
• Swelling: If your back pain comes from a direct injury, you could see swelling and puffiness in that area. If you gently touch your back, you can feel the tenderness.
• Radiating pain: Sometimes, people feel the pain start in one area but then branch into other zones, such as the neck or shoulders. 

Common Triggers of an Upper Back Pulled Muscle

A muscle strain on the upper back can be caused by:

1. Overexertion: If you lifted a heavy object or engaged in intense physical activity without proper conditioning or protection for your back, you could cause injury.
2. Poor posture: Sitting for long periods of time in a poor position, especially when using computers or mobile devices, can strain your upper back. 
3. Sudden movements: If you twist or move suddenly, it can cause strain.
4. Repetitive motion: Overuse of the same muscles again and again can cause injuries, especially if the muscles are not warmed up properly. 

Effective Management of a Pulled Upper Back Muscle

Back injuries take a long time to heal. It can be a matter of weeks for some, and months or even years for others. The strategy to combat this is to do a mix of immediate care, pain relief strategies and rehabilitation exercises.

Immediate Response to a Pulled Muscle

There is a method of treatment known as the R.I.C.E method, which has been used with sports trainers for years. R.I.C.E stands for rest, ice, compression and elevation. You can use this method for any muscle injury, including ankles, knees and the upper back:

1. Rest: Simply rest immediately after you have been injured. Don’t do activities that cause stress in the affected muscle. You don’t want to expand the damaged area any further.
2. Ice: A bag of frozen peas, a few crushed ice cubes in a damp cloth or an ice pack will work. You want to put it on as soon as possible to stop the inflammation for about 20 minutes. You can then rest it for two to four hours and put the ice pack back on again. Do not put the ice directly onto the area, as that will be too cold. Wrap it in a towel and keep it for 20 minutes or less; otherwise, you could cause further damage. Your goal is to reduce the swelling but not stop it.
3. Compression: Compression bandages can reduce the swelling. Use an elastic medical application that has some give to it. It should be snug, and the area should still have good circulation. If the area starts to feel numb, you get pins and needles or increased pain, then the bandage is on too tight. Unwrap it, wait a few minutes for circulation to return and then rewrap it a bit looser. The bandage should only be on for the first two to three days. If you find it you need it longer, consult a medical healthcare professional. 
4. Elevation: Raise the body part above the heart level. You will want the fluids to gently move out of the area and not have a reason to stay pooled. Gravity will do this for you. For upper backs, this means staying seated rather than lying flat down. Prop yourself up with a few pillows or a sponge wedge.

Rehabilitation and Recovery

After a physical examination, a healthcare professional will probably prescribe over-the-counter pain relievers to help with inflammation and pain management. Pain management works by blocking the pain nerve from sending the signal to the brain. The brain then thinks the muscle is OK, so it relaxes it. You know the muscle is damaged, so you rest and don’t put any strain on it, and the muscle feels relaxed as the pain meds kick in. It can then heal without being pressured or strained by the pain or movement.

Heat therapy is another option after 48 hours. The first 48 hours are about cooling the area down to reduce the swelling. But after two days, you want to use heat to relax the muscles and increase blood circulation in the area to heal. 

Rehabilitation exercises are all about gentle moving and stretching the area to start getting the muscles working again, but safely. Your aim is to build up strength and increase the blood flow so that the body heals correctly. If your muscle stays contracted and it heals like that, you might find you won’t have as much stretch as you did before. So you want to slowly stretch it out.

Stop immediately if you have acute pain or discomfort. A physiotherapist can also suggest some strengthening exercises suited to your specific condition. Another gentle way is to just spend half an hour focusing on your posture. Inhale and straighten your back. Roll your shoulders so they are relaxed, and lift your chin to be level with the floor. Once you are in a good posture point, hold for a few minutes before relaxing the muscles on an exhale. 

How Desert Institute for Spine Care Can Help

The Desert Institute for Spinal Care is a leader in minimally invasive spine care and surgical techniques. We can create a customized treatment for you to reduce your back pain and inflammation. Our goal is to treat the symptoms and find the root of the problem. Once we know why there is an issue, we can go about readjusting and tailoring programs so that the injury can heal and prevent it from returning.

Schedule an appointment to discuss your treatment plan options for the pulled muscle in your upper back.