Shoulders sore from sleeping

[JulieL]

For quite a while now I've been getting sore in the shoulders from sleeping on my side. It doesn't help that they pop and crack either, at least it seems to aggrevate the area in my mind. Once apon a time I could sleep on my stomach but just can't get comfortable enough, and can't sleep on my back either. I've resorted to sleeping with a full length pillow to align my body and pillow under my head - but still it's not helping enough. I'm now desperate enough to go to a back store for a magic pillow or something - but am worried I'm gonna get scammed into something expensive that doesn't work. I have no clue who to ask this to, the dr? or a pt? I was wondering if anyone else has similar problems. This is really messing up my sleeping, and I keep waking up to switch sides to get the pressure off.

Thanks everyone, oh and happy friday :)

[JulieL]

For quite a while now I've been getting sore in the shoulders from sleeping on my side. It doesn't help that they pop and crack either, at least it seems to aggrevate the area in my mind. Once apon a time I could sleep on my stomach but just can't get comfortable enough, and can't sleep on my back either. I've resorted to sleeping with a full length pillow to align my body and pillow under my head - but still it's not helping enough. I'm now desperate enough to go to a back store for a magic pillow or something - but am worried I'm gonna get scammed into something expensive that doesn't work. I have no clue who to ask this to, the dr? or a pt? I was wondering if anyone else has similar problems. This is really messing up my sleeping, and I keep waking up to switch sides to get the pressure off.

Thanks everyone, oh and happy friday :)

[megs4413]

have you tried hugging a pillow? that helps me somewhat. it's been hard for me too. i'm normally a back sleeper, but not when preggo obviously. you could always invest in a sleep number bed...my BF has one and is currently pregs...and it drives me nuts how much she loves it. GRRRR.

[megs4413]

have you tried hugging a pillow? that helps me somewhat. it's been hard for me too. i'm normally a back sleeper, but not when preggo obviously. you could always invest in a sleep number bed...my BF has one and is currently pregs...and it drives me nuts how much she loves it. GRRRR.

[JulieL]

well a sleep number bed is WWWAAYYY to expensive for me :(

[JulieL]

well a sleep number bed is WWWAAYYY to expensive for me :(

[megs4413]

yeah i know....i was being...well i don't remember the word, but i was joking! the thing that drives me nuts is that we bought a really great mattress set when we got married and if we had just spent a few hundred dollars more we could have had a sleep #, it wouldnt have been a king size like we have now, but at least i would have been more comfortable!

[megs4413]

yeah i know....i was being...well i don't remember the word, but i was joking! the thing that drives me nuts is that we bought a really great mattress set when we got married and if we had just spent a few hundred dollars more we could have had a sleep #, it wouldnt have been a king size like we have now, but at least i would have been more comfortable!

[mudder17]

Okay, my absolute favorite pillow (thanks to Jkyzer) is the Maternity V pillow. I love it so much I ended up getting two of them and I KNOW I will be using them postpartum as well. It's this one:

http://www.onestepahead.com/jump.jsp?lGen=detail&itemID=308784&itemType=PRODUCT&iProductID=308784&change=117

But it looks like they've sold out (man, I'm REALLY glad I got a second one while it was still on sale and before it sold out!). You might be able to find it elsewhere. I have 1 other maternity pillow and at least 2 other body pillows and none of them did it for me. I put one under my head and form a "wall" for my neck and back and the other one gets hugged to my body and supports my upper leg/foot. It's so much better than anything else I tried.

Here's the website for the maker: http://www.bigvpillow.com/thera_bigv.html

And from what I recall, Jo mentioned there are two different types of filling and you want the one with the micropearls. Just make sure you DON'T open up the inner zipper and that it's closed all the way or you'll get those beads all over the place!

Eileen

http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/user_files/33734.gif 29 months...

http://www.tickercentral.com/view/6wrn/1.png

http://tickers.baby-gaga.com/p/dev317pp___.png

http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/user_files/33732.gif for Leah

[mudder17]

Okay, my absolute favorite pillow (thanks to Jkyzer) is the Maternity V pillow. I love it so much I ended up getting two of them and I KNOW I will be using them postpartum as well. It's this one:

http://www.onestepahead.com/jump.jsp?lGen=detail&itemID=308784&itemType=PRODUCT&iProductID=308784&change=117

But it looks like they've sold out (man, I'm REALLY glad I got a second one while it was still on sale and before it sold out!). You might be able to find it elsewhere. I have 1 other maternity pillow and at least 2 other body pillows and none of them did it for me. I put one under my head and form a "wall" for my neck and back and the other one gets hugged to my body and supports my upper leg/foot. It's so much better than anything else I tried.

Here's the website for the maker: http://www.bigvpillow.com/thera_bigv.html

And from what I recall, Jo mentioned there are two different types of filling and you want the one with the micropearls. Just make sure you DON'T open up the inner zipper and that it's closed all the way or you'll get those beads all over the place!

Eileen

http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/user_files/33734.gif 29 months...

http://www.tickercentral.com/view/6wrn/1.png

http://tickers.baby-gaga.com/p/dev317pp___.png

http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/user_files/33732.gif for Leah

[JulieL]

Thanks Eileen! I'll look into that!

[crAbbymom]

Have you considered a Memory Foam topper? I bought a 4in 4lb density Serta one at overstock.com for less than $200. I had a code for 10% off and $1.00 shipping. In the coupon section here, I saw a coupon for 12% off and $1.00 shipping. It took dh and I a bit to get used to it, but we both sleep sooooo much better now. DD4 and DD6 want their own topper!

I don't know if that is in your price range, but for us, it was a LOT cheaper than a new bed!

[cbm]

Are you keeping your shoulders raised (close to your neck) during the day and while you sleep? It isn't a conscious thing. Most people tend to do it expecially if under a lot of stress. If it applies to you, do some rotating exercises with your shoulders (not the arms) it may help. It will also help if you catch yourself and straighten.
I thought I would throw this in since I have that happen when I am particularly tense.

Claudia
DS 12/18/04

[StantonHyde]

Buy the Tempurpedic pillow. You will not regret it!!! It takes a couple of days to get used to but after that, you will not want to live with out it. I take my body pillow and my tempurpedic pillow everywhere. We did get a Tempurpedic type mattress (can't really do Tempurpedics here because our humidity is too low) and I love it. You can get a medical "release" for it which means you don't pay sales tax, but the mattress still runs close to $1,000. I would try the topper, too. The other thing I do when my shoulders hurt (I carry all of my stress in my shoulders) is wear one of those Therma patches on the sore spot--I can actually go to bed sore and wake up and feel ok if I wear it all night. I wore them when I was pg--on my shoulders--with my MD's ok.

[s7714]

I'd also suggest making sure you have the proper pillow type for side sleeping. They usually recommend extra-firm pillows for side sleepers, to make sure you're getting enough neck support. Due to having loose joints, I have actually managed to pull my shoulder joint out of alignment when sleeping on my side, so I have to make sure I have a really firm pillow or my shoulders will start hurting really bad.

Hope you find something that works for you!

Jennifer
Mommy to
Miss Pure Energy 3/03
Miss Antsy-Pants 6/05

Calling fellow BBB SoCal moms...we'd love to meet you!
(100 posts & BBB member for 3 months req'd)
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/babybargainssocal/

[JulieL]

Yes I do usually have my arms up under the pillow by the neck. I tried hugging my pillow and it helped some. I am definatley looking into these suggestions - I really need my sleep!

[shilo]

ok, orthopedics is not my specialty, so speaking more from personal experience here rather than PT-land.

i have a used a tempurpedic for about 11years now (well 4 or 5 of them actually :). i am a 90% side sleeper with the occasional tummy sleep when not preggo. if i go on vacation without my pillow (like right now), my neck and shoulders act up almost overnight. if you get one from a place like brookstone they have a 30 day, money back guarantee. somewhere along the way, tempurpedic came out with a new rounder pillow that looked like a more standard pillow which i tried and hated. brookstone took it back without complaint and i got the original big hump/little hump style one again (regular firmness, i've also tried the extra firm b/c a salesperson said it was better for side sleepers - not so IME), which work the best for me. also, my experience is, it takes about a full week to get used to the pillow, so if your going to try memory foam, commit to it for a full week before you make a judgement. it will definitely feel weird and wrong for the first night or two. i've got my DH and mom hooked on them now, too.

as far as the PT stuff goes (normal disclaimer applies, i have not evaluated you and cannot provide an assessment of your actual case), i can offer you that the sleeping position you're describing is pretty hard on shoulders. when you raise your arm up and put it under your pillow, it puts a lot of strain thru the joint. your arm bone basically has a big knuckle like bump on the end which, when you raise your arm up, can kind of become wedged against the little dome of bones made up by your shoulder blade and collar bone. so any soft tissue that's in that dome space can become inflammed and painful if its in that wedged/pinched position all night. i know how hard it is to get used to new sleeping positions, but could you try experimenting with bringing that arm forward in front of you, or even more down underneath you? even for part of the night, this might take some of the strain out of the joint.

anyway, hth.
lori
Sam 5/19/05 How lucky I am that you chose me.