Most of the time that we are awake, we keep our spines in a vertically aligned position. This puts pressure on our spine by continuously working against gravity.

Due to this reason, the strain can cause our spine to become compressed. This pressure can stress out our spinal cord and the muscles associated with it.

Nonsurgical spinal decompression is a particular technique to move the spine in order to get rid of its pain. This method involves stretching of the spine in a sustained manner to relieve its pain. It mostly involves switching between different positions to decompress the spine.

By performing this exercise, you can easily release pressure from the gel-like intersections called the spinal discs present between the vertebrae.

Following this noninvasive decompression, any spine that might have been herniated will regain its position removing pressure from the nerves that may have been compressed.

This further helps to increase the flow of oxygen, water, and nutrient-rich fluid to the spine for its rapid healing.

Experts from around the globe have drafted numerous ways that can be beneficial for spinal decompression while you are in your sleeping position. These methods can help to treat:

• Sciatica which refers to the pain going from the lower back right up to the leg
• Disc herniation or degenerative disk disease
• swollen spinal joints

Following are some of the benefits of spinal decompression.

1.       Aids In Lowering Your Back Pain

Back pain can be due to several different reasons like pressure on the nerves, muscle stress, stiffness in the fascia, or inflamed joints. These problems are likely to put more pressure on your spine and cause it to decompress.

On top of that if you are obese or overweight, then there is an added pressure on your spine to support your body and posture all the time. This makes your spine more susceptible to back pain.

Through spinal decompression, you can reduce or practically eliminate the main causes of back pain through lighting pressure from your spine.

It can also aid in the treatment of sciatica by taking pressure off your nerve roots.

2.       Helps Lessen The Stress On Your Spine

If your daily routine requires manual labor, weight lifting, or excessive back movement, then it can lead to the accumulation of postural stress on your spine. It also increases the risk of injury and back due to the unwavering stress on it.

On the other hand, even if you have a 9 to 5 desk job, you are still prone to develop spinal decompression. This is mostly due to people sitting in a slouchy position the entire day.

3.       Postural Improvement

By having your spine in a neutral position, spinal decompression helps to improve posture. Posture strains like thoracic kyphosis and hyperlordosis are a result of excessive time spent sitting or standing in poor posture.

When you maintain a droopy posture for more than 20 minutes, the muscles that are present around your spine start to accommodate themselves in that position.

Some muscles may become excessively tight, while their antagonist muscles get overstrained. Spinal decompression exercises work by improving the muscle imbalance and soreness through a gentle stretch and a little break from supporting your spine.

4.       Prevents And Gets Rid Of Back Pain

Your spine goes up till the base of your skull, supporting the muscles in your neck on its way and keeping your back in an aligned position.

However, because of the excessive use of smartphones nowadays we can strain our neck muscles by constantly looking down. While we can get temporary benefits from neck massages, a more appropriate solution has to be spinal decompression.

This allows the spine to regains its position and elongate itself along with softly stretching the neck muscles. It improves blood flow to the muscles of the neck so they heal quickly.

5.       Lightens Headaches

Over the years physicians have been recommending spinal decompression as a natural treatment for frequent headaches.

Spinal compression can obstruct the blood flow to your brain which can cause throbbing pain in your head. The increase of tension in your back and neck muscles can cause a consistent and unswerving headache.

Performing these exercises for spinal decompression regularly can effectively reduce the intensity of headaches for people who are prone to chronic headaches.

Below are some methods that can help to decompress your spine while sleeping.

1.       Choosing A Suitable Mattress

While choosing a mattress you should always go for the one that provides the most back support. If the mattress that you bought is somehow still unstable, then you can place an inch wide piece of plywood between the mattress and spring to increase its firmness.

By sleeping daily on a firm mattress you can naturally align your spine by lengthening it.

2.       Flexed Hip Position

For this method, you need to first lay on your bed with hips flexed at an angle of 30 degrees. Next, you will have to bend your knees again at 30 degrees. This will allow your body to maintain its balance align with flexing your neck to elongate your spine.

You may also keep a pillow between your knees so that your hips remain parallel during your sleep.

3.       Face-Up Position

You will have to lie on your bed completely straight with your face up. Your eyes should be watching the ceiling.

Now keep a pillow right beneath your knees at an angle of 30 degrees. This will assist your spine to decompress itself in addition to elongating it. You may also keep a pillow under your neck to support it and maintain it in a neutral position.

4.       Choosing Pillows

Another important aspect of decompressing your spine is choosing the appropriate pillow. The quality of the pillow plays a major role in the elongation of the spine.

One of the best materials is memory foam which proves to be beneficial for the longest time. This type of pillow made out of memory foam curves naturally with the shape of your spine and provides supreme comfort.

An additional pillow with some indentation may be required depending on your sleeping positions.

5.       Inclined Back Sleeping

You can try to sleep in an inclined position with the help of an indented pillow or a changeable base between your torso and legs. This can help to reduce the pressure building in your spine.

With this technique, you can suppress symptoms of isthmic spondylolisthesis, a lumbar spine injury in which one of the vertebrae moves under the one below it causing severe back pain and sometimes sciatica.

6.       Stomach Sleeping With Hip Support

Sleeping on your stomach is highly discouraged by physicians around the world because it increases back pain. However, some people who may be habitual of sleeping on their stomachs can start by putting a pillow under their stomach.

The extra support prevents the curving of your back unnaturally while also reducing pressure on your lumbar spine. If possible, do not place any pillow underneath your neck to prevent any further pain.

Be Careful!

• Never sleep on a water bed as it is so soft that it will allow your spine to curve in every direction easily compared to a firm mattress.
• Don’t sleep on your stomach without any support. This will shorten your spine and severe back pain. It can also lead to numbness in the limbs due to some compressed nerves.