Maintaining a good body weight is very important.

In our lifetimes, 80% of us will experience back pain so severe that it requires medical attention.Īrthritis cannot be stopped, there is no cure for arthritis, but it can be managed and treated. Back pain is the number one reason to see your doctor, neck pain is the number three reason to see your doctor. This is known as wear and tear or degenerative disease. So as long as that pillows maintaining neutral position, then that's a good pillow for you for the way that you sleep.Īrthritis of the neck and back is a common condition. So you don't want your neck overly flexed, you don't want it overly extended. In terms of a pillow, you want one that allows neutral position of your neck. A mattress that's too firm will not allow your back and neck to rest and will put pressure on areas of your back and neck. A mattress that is too soft will put you back into awkward positions at night and exacerbate painful conditions. You want something that gives just enough support, but not too much support. With a mattress, the general idea is to have something of medium firmness. We spend so much time sleeping, that sleep is an important component of our back and neck health. I commonly get questions about mattresses and pillows. Managing stress properly and dealing with it in adequate ways is also a very important component of managing pain. Stress can also be an exacerbator of pain. An adequate period of sleep, with good quality of sleep, is very important to manage pain successfully. Sleep is the period during which the body rejuvenates itself. Sleep and stress can both contribute to pain. I'm here to answer some of the important questions you may have about back and neck pain. Mohamad Bydon, a neurosurgeon at Mayo Clinic.

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