There is nothing worse than having an intimate moment with your partner interrupted because of back pain.
Imagine this if you will. You and your partner are at home on a Friday night, relaxing after a long day at work. You’ve planned a nice dinner, selected a great movie to watch together, and you’ve even made arrangements for the kids to have a sleepover at a neighbor’s house. The night is set. Dinner was great, and the movie just started. You’ve found a comfortable position on the couch to cuddle with you significant other, and then, out of nowhere, your back starts hurting.
It’s subtle at first. A slight feeling of pressure in the lower back. Then the pain gets stronger, so you attempt to changes positions, but that only makes it hurt more. Next, you try laying down, but the pain persists. No matter which way you turn, the pain in your back is distracting. Suddenly you realize, the peaceful movie night you planned has become a therapy session with you lying on the floor and your partner lounging on the couch. What ends up happening is that you take a couple pain relievers and head to bed early, and your partner stays up to finish the movie. So much for date night.
This might sound familiar to some of you, or perhaps you haven’t experienced this—at least not yet—and you’re looking to avoid it. I certainly hope it doesn’t happen, but if you’re like most couples who share much of their belongings, then the aches and pains may be inevitable. For example, the items that we share on a daily basis such as our cars and our mattress can both be a “pain in the neck” (or back) if we don’t pay attention to their contribution in our everyday lives. Most chiropractors will agree that the best way to prevent back pain is to get ahead of back pain. Preventative care can help couples examine the areas that may cause back pain in the future.
Here are a few tips to help you and your partner keep back pain and neck pain at bay by maintaining good posture and being aware of the pain-causing obstacles in your lives.
Sharing a car means sharing a seat
In today’s economy, many couples have begun sharing a car to commute to and from work. In some cases, a couple may choose to share one car to save money, which means that they are probably changing the seat height and back support every time they drive. Seat position is crucial for the support of the back and neck, so it is important to adjust the seat position to fit your body type every time you drive, especially if you are going on a long road trip. Let’s say that you decide to drive your partner’s car. Once again, you must adjust the seat to fit your body type for optimal back and neck support.
Although the seat position is one part of preventing back pain, the mirrors, steering wheel, and seat belt are all just as important. When these areas of an automobile are adjusted properly, good posture can be established. The arms should be bent slightly at the elbow joint when holding the steering wheel and the seat should be slightly reclined for comfort, which depends on a person’s comfort level. When the wheel is set too high, a person will feel tension in their shoulders, arms, and even the neck. The same goes with the seat. If it’s too close or too far back, a person will begin to feel pressure in their lower and mid back. Since everyone has different expectations of comfort, most people will have to adjust the seat according to their comfort level.
Adapt to the firmness of a mattress
Sometimes, sharing a bed can cause a lot of pain in different areas of the back. As we age, the firmness of a mattress is important in securing the comfort level while a person sleeps. Not just that, but it makes waking up in the morning a little easier. The trouble with sharing a bed is that if one person is comfortable with the firmness level of the mattress, the other person may not be comfortable. Fortunately, there are mattresses in today’s market that can accommodate both people, giving them the ability to select their own level of mattress firmness. However, depending on your budget, buying two different mattresses with different levels of firmness that can be zipped together may also be an option.
One of the most common complaints that chiropractors hear is about back pain they experienced from sleeping in an awkward position. Similarly, most people will feel back pain after spending the night on the couch. The problem with awkward positions and sleeping on the couch is that the spine is not straight when a person falls asleep, so the stressed muscles and tissues in the back can cause inflammation around the vertebrae, which leads to the pain signal. Most people will feel back pain when they wake up if their back is arched too heavily or they remain in the fetal position or bowing position for long periods of time. The difficult part is that we don’t know we’re doing that when we’re sleeping. We just try to find the most comfortable position at the moment. Also, having too many pillows than necessary can cause the neck to experience the same type of strain. In fact, more people complain about neck stiffness and pain after sleeping than they do about the back. Therefore, it’s important to have a mattress that fits your comfort level, have the right number of pillows, and do your best to keep your spine straight while you sleep with your partner.
Being in a relationship and living with your partner can be comforting and eventful, but, at the same time, it can also take a certain amount of compromise and commitment. Still, back pain does not have to ruin those intimate moments with each other, nor does it have to keep either of you up at night. Instead, take preventative measures to ensure the comfort level for both of you and consider preventative care with your local chiropractor.
If you are experiencing back pain or neck pain from an uncomfortable mattress or an awkward positioned car seat, depending on your condition, a chiropractor may be able to help you find pain relief. Call your local chiropractor to learn more about preventing back pain through chiropractic care.
