Spine Talk

“We’re all wired to sleep differently,” Dr. Bosita said in a recent interview. “Some of us are natural side-sleepers, some sleep on our backs and others sleep on our stomach and those natural sleeping positions can sometimes make back pain worse. “Many times, a person will feel uncomfortable when trying a new sleeping position because it doesn’t feel right. One of our goals at Texas Back Institute is to help our patients get their back pain under control so they can sleep in the most comfortable position for them.” “A person with spinal stenosis, for example, typically experiences pain when they extend their spine,” he noted. “If a person is a natural back-sleeper, the firmness of the mattress will have the effect of extending the spine a small amount, making the back and leg pain worse. “In some instances, people will roll over quickly and they will suddenly wake up because their back pain will get acutely worse. For someone who is sleeping fitfully, the mattress may be the cause and sudden movements can in