Torticollis is an inflammation of the neck muscles which causes pain and prevents the movement of the neck by forcing to stay with the head twisted on the side under pain of feeling intense pain. In this article, you will find out how to sleep with torticollis. Symptoms of this medical condition are easily recognizable: headaches, mild dizziness, swelling of the ligaments in the neck area (mainly the sternocleidomastoid muscle) and difficulty in turning the head normally.
The main cause of this muscle injury is essentially due to poor posture or too sudden movements. Faced with this condition so common these days, sleeping is a painful task. Here's how to sleep with a torticollis.
Sleeping with torticollis: The travel pillow is essential
The travel cushion is not only useful when you fly, it is also essential when you suffer from torticollis, allowing you to properly hold your head without turning your head during sleep.
In addition, it will allow you to relieve pain if you choose one made of memory foam, which allows you to adapt to it, warmer, thanks to its thermo sensitivity.
Otherwise, choose an inflatable or microbead model, even if they will not have the same effect on pain.
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Choosing the right bedding
It is precisely at bedtime that you have to be more careful to avoid the risk of waking up with a torticollis. Sometimes we don't pay enough attention to the space or the elements that make up our sleep when, throughout sleep, the neck can adopt a series of postures that are particularly harmful to our muscular well-being.
In order to prevent this, it is advisable to resort to a ergonomic memory foam pillow , responding to the anatomy of our body; that is, neither too high nor, on the contrary, too low, since both options are equally harmful. In turn, the mattress should be firm and, under no circumstances, should sag.
They should be changed regularly when they start to deteriorate. In addition, it is recommended that people most likely to suffer from torticollis use a quality neck pillow and memory foam mattress that adapts perfectly to the contour of the body and thus offers the greatest possible stability.
Work your neck before bed
Relaxation techniques and yoga minimize the risk of suffering from torticollis for this reason, it is recommended, just before falling asleep, to perform a daily small stretching exercise routine for the cervical area. These, in addition to preventing the development of the disease, also relax the muscles, avoid possible injuries or tractions and contribute to a better rest.
Choose your sleeping position
To get to sleep with torticollis, it is not recommended to sleep on your stomach, prefer a sleeping position on your side or on your back. This is the best position for sleeping with torticollis.
Relax to sleep well
When we are relaxed, it is definitely the time to rest. A very effective home remedy sleep with torticollis consists of applying a small neck massage with the fingertips. In this way, by exerting light pressure for about five minutes, the muscle tension gradually decreases.
Take painkillers to know how to sleep with a torticollis
If the pain is so bad that it completely prevents you from sleeping with torticollis, take an ibuprofen which, thanks to its anti-inflammatory power, reduces swelling and calms the pain, however, it is important to keep in mind. mind that medications only provide temporary relief. When it comes to a severe case of torticollis, you should see a doctor as soon as possible.
