I don`t have any back pain at all, but I am a face down sleeper. I do whats called "the chalk outline". One hand out, front, one by the side. I really don`t know why I do it. A few days ago I made a point to try sleeping on my back, and I did get the best sleep I have gotten in a long, long time. However, I quickly find myself reverting back to the face down chalk pose of peace.
I do not have any back pain though and I do find the face down comfortable. Is this bad?
Only bad if your neck is rotated for hours on end. You may not have symptoms now, but you will...everyone does unfortunately. Think of shoveling snow to one side, over and over again, for years. the muscular, tendinous, and ligamentous imbalances that this would make. There's a threshold that is reached when something goes wrong.
I was just telling a patient this the other day. They bent over to pick up a piece of paper and their back "went out." now was that piece of paper 300 lbs? NO...but it was the last straw that broke the camels back so to speak. So I adjusted them, I changed the compressive load pattern on their spine, altered their spinal biomechanics and their own body healed itself. I just removed the interference.
My goal is to correct abnormal spinal curves, and the face down neck torqued position is not going to help maintain a proper lordodic cervical curve. And peer reviewed research shows that a reduced cervical curve smaller than 45 degrees will lead to a shorter lifespan. If you reduce that curve you are stretching, pulling, compressing, and fraying your spinal cord/brainstem. Hence why I place such importance on establishing healthy curves and sleeping position.
I frequently take 30 minute naps at lunchtime on my adjusting table. So it's face down but there is a face hole cut out. Very comfortable!
Solution: cut a face hole into your bed
