why putting a pillow under your knees when you sleep helps with back pain
In: 11
At a high level, back pain is the result of nerves sending signals to your brain. Either the nerves are broken and sending wrong signals or something is actually “wrong” and your body is trying to tell you something is wrong via pain.
Given your description and since you are talking back pain, either your spine has something wrong (less likely) or your back muscles have something wrong (more likely.)
When it comes to muscles, the problem is often that some muscles are too strong and some muscles are too weak. Many muscles tug on other muscles near them when they are flexed and stop tugging as much when they are relaxed. When you move your joints into different positions, the muscles on one side of the bone are given more slack to relax and the muscles on the other side are pulled tighter. If the muscles are pulled tighter by body position, they may tug on other weaker muscles near them, causing pain.
So, sleeping with a pillow under your knees rotates your hip joint forward. That “gives slack” to certain muscles in your legs and “tenses” other muscles. The extra slack is relieving the pulling on your back muscles and reducing pain (possibly).
All this extra writing to say: you could likely permanently fix or reduce back pain by either strengthening your back muscles or certain leg muscles through exercise or lengthening certain muscles via stretching.
However, all this extra explanation also says there are many causes of back pain not just strong muscles bullying weak muscles and a physical therapist or doctor may have many helpful diagnoses and treatments/rehabs/exercises (not chiropractors! Many chiropractors do not have science based medical degrees.)
Latest Answers