COMPLIMENTARY HEALTH TIPS HERE ARE SOME FREE HEALTH TIPS WHICH WILL HELP YOUR SPINE STAY HEALTHY! Pillows There are 24 hours in a day.  And 8 of those hours are spent sleeping. That means we spend 1/3 of our lives in bed!   It makes sense to give your spine the maximum structural support possible during the considerably amount of time we’re sleeping.   To that effect, I recommend investing in a quality pillow which will give you the best orthopedic support for your cervical spine.   I’ve critically evaluated most of the products that exist and found there is no data which proves any one pillow is superior to the others in the market.  The most important factor when choosing a pillow is to make sure you are choosing one with the correct thickness which is based on your shoulder dimensions.  A person with broad shoulders will need a thicker pillow, whereas a person with slender shoulders needs a somewhat thinner pillow.  The ideal sleeping posture is laying on your side.  Your head should be level with your spine.  It should not tilt up nor down.   Pillow materials break down over time.  So you need to replace your pillow when it starts to show signs of wear.  There is no specific time line for that.  But I think replacing pillows every 3-5 years is appropriate. Mattresses & Bedding We spend 1/3 of our lives in bed.   It is extremely important to maximize whatever orthopedic support our bedding can afford us.   There is a dizzying array of different mattresses in the market.  Beyond the sheer number of different manufacturers, there are now mattresses which will allow you to dial in the desired softness or firmness.   There are mattresses which contain memory foam materials (which supposedly hold the shape of the user).  There are air mattresses, and mattresses which don’t require you to flip & rotate them.   I could go on and on. Just as with pillows, there are no studies which scientifically prove any one mattress is superior to others.   So all these ultra-expensive gimmick mattresses might not be any better than ones which cost a fraction of the price. That being said, I will share with you one company that I am very impressed with - The Original Mattress Factory.   They are not only less expensive than all the leading name brands, but they’re better built too.  If you go visit any of their showrooms, they will have a variety of mattresses that are cut in half – so you can see with your own two eyes what materials go into the manufacture of the product.   They will have their own house brand and most of the other top name brands (Sealy, Serta, etc..).   The Original Mattress Factory (OMF) mattresses uses thicker steel for the springs, and they have more springs per square foot than the other mattresses.   This means that the mattress is build tougher and will last longer.   Not only that but because they sell factory direct, there’s no middle man, so you get to enjoy paying a cheaper price for a superior product.   In case you think I sound like a commercial, please forgive me.  But I’m so impressed with what I saw, I felt obligated to share the good news. I recommend Original Mattress Factory mattresses and box springs.  You need to flip & rotate your mattress at least every other month (for even wear).  Invest in the best mattress you can afford.  It’s a good investment and your spine is definitely worth it. Knee Spacer When side sleeping, you need to place a pillow or some other spacer in between your knees in order to maintain a level pelvis. If your knees are touching, it creates an angle from the femur heads and pelvis resulting in additional mechanical pressure on the sacroiliac (SI) joint. The result may be pain, muscle spasms, and joint complex dysfunction.  All of these problems can be eliminated with a simple and cheap solution.  Just place a thin pillow between your needs, and you will maintain proper spinal & pelvic alignment. Body Pillows A body pillow is a very long pillow (something like 2 to 2.5 times the length of a standard pillow).  They are typically used by pregnant women because they provide additional abdominal support.   I have found that body pillows are terrific sleeping aids for people suffering with low back pain.  You can use them as your knee spacer, and then roll into them (which gives your “core” additional structural support.   I’ve had numerous patients report back to me that once they started using body pillows, they woke up with far fewer stiff & sore backs.   Bed Bath & Beyond sells body pillows.  I think they’re only about $10.00.  And you’ll need to buy a special pillow case (also available at Bed Bath & Beyond for about $15.00. Sleep How much should you sleep?  How much sleep do you need?   According to current research, we need approximately 7-9 hours of restful sleep per day.   If you are not getting at least 7 hours of sleep, you are depriving your body, and more specifically your brain of a restorative process which is vital to health and wellness.  Some people find that they cannot sleep for 7-9 hours.   Often times, they will lay there with their mind racing or they’ll be worried about what tomorrow will hold for them.   Here are some tips that I think everyone can immediately implement which will give them a more restful night’s sleep: Do not read the newspaper or watch the news.   The news is all bad news.  And 99.5% of it will not have any impact on your life anyway.  You don’t need to know about every fire, murder, robbery, and other travesty which occurred in your town. Do not do (home) work right before you go to bed.  Put the work away a good hour before you're ready to retire for the night. No caffeine or sugar after 7:00 p.m. Go to bed on time.  Budget for a good eight hours of sleep.  If you need to be up by 6:00 a.m., that means you need to be in bed by 10:00 p.m. 10 minutes before you're ready to go to sleep, spend some time meditating, clearing your mind and focusing only on your breath.  Don't think about anything else.  Don't think about work, sports, the bills, the car, house repairs or anything else.  Just lay there and focus on your breath.  Breathe in your nose and out your mouth.  Take slow deep breaths.  Draw in as much air as you can, hold it for 2-3 seconds and then breathe out your mouth.  Doing this will oxygenate your brain and bring a deep sense of relaxation.  It will allow you to drift into a deep, relaxing, replenishing, rejuvenating sleep. Water We've been told by every health professional from doctors and nurses, to naturopaths and energy healers: water makes everything in your body work better. Drinking enough water can assist in balancing every organ and system in your body, from the immune system and the endocrine and digestive systems to assisting with the health of your kidneys, liver, colon, skin, memory, energy levels, weight loss and more. How much water does it take? I've got a new guideline that may be helpful to those of you looking to stay hydrated and keep your body strong and young. It requires a bit of math... but it's easy math. Start by taking your body weight in pounds (no, you don't have to tell anyone). Divide that number by two. Presto! That's how many ounces of water you need to drink in a day, at a minimum. (e.g. If you weigh 150 lbs. ---> 150 / 2 = 75 ounces per day) The average water glass is about 8 ounces when it's full. Coffee, black or green tea, and sugary juices (whether they're natural or not) do not count towards your water needs.  If you drink coffee, tea, or other sugared or caffeinated beverages, add another 8-ounce glass to your water requirement for every cup of coffee, tea, coke, etc. that you drink. The hard part is figuring out how to tote all that water around and remembering to drink it. I keep a bottle or a glass of water beside my computer, my work table, even near my bed, so I'm sipping all day, whether I feel thirsty or not - if you feel thirsty, it means you're already slightly dehydrated. Whole Food Nutrition  (coming soon) Foods To Avoid  (coming soon) How To Choose Nutritional Supplements  (coming soon) Low Impact Cardio Exercise  (coming soon) How To Choose Orthotics  (coming soon) Stretching  (coming soon)