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Staying Healthy
Not-so-sweet slumber
- By Maureen Salamon, Executive Editor, Harvard Women's Health Watch
Sleep position and bedding can trigger back or neck pain. Here’s what you can do about it.
Sleep is meant to be a dreamy escape for both body and soul. But if you greet each morning with a stiff neck or an achy, creaky back, your joints and muscles might be undergoing stress and strain from the pose in which you begin your slumber — and those you later twist into unawares.
Sleep position, along with fundamentals such as mattress and pillow choice, can greatly contribute to back and neck pain, which are more prevalent in women, says Dr. Preeti Shastri, a physiatrist (specialist in physical medicine and rehabilitation) at Harvard-affiliated Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.
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About the Author
Maureen Salamon, Executive Editor, Harvard Women's Health Watch
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