I woke up with a kink in my neck!

Many patients come into the office complaining they ‘slept’ wrong or have a ‘kink’ in their neck. This is often caused from sleeping in the wrong position in the wrong place. If you slept on the couch with your neck twisted to the side, the joints can become misaligned, which can cause the muscles in the neck to tighten up. This can then lead to pain and spasm, and you will need a chiropractic adjustment to alleviate the pain and realign the spine. It won’t just ‘go away’ over time. 

Another point to consider is the type of pillow that you sleep on. Flat pillows do not support your neck and spine when laying in your back or side. Pillows that are too thick tend to prop your head up at an equally awkward angle. It’s important to find a pillow that is the right size for you, and chances are it won’t be the same pillow that fits other people in your family. If you can’t share clothes with someone, chances are you can’t share a pillow either, purely based on size.

While you are sleeping, if your fingers or hands go numb, chances are you are not getting the support required for your spine while you are sleeping. Pillows that support the proper curvature of the spine are the best for back sleeping. Side sleepers need a pillow that is the depth of your ear to shoulder to keep the neck in a neutral position and to prevent the nerves that go to the arm from getting impinged and causing your hands to fall asleep.  

Stomach sleepers are notorious for waking up with neck and arm pain. Lying on your belly with your head rotated to one side all night is going to cause imbalances in your neck. One side of your neck will seize up and the other side will be over-stretched, which will cause discomfort. Retraining yourself to sleep on your back or side will enhance your sleep and reduce your pain and discomfort.

As always, if you have neck pain when you wake up, you need to have yourself evaluated by a chiropractor. Good pillows are helpful but they don’t correct the bad movement patterns, imbalances and poor alignment causing the problem in the first place.