How Sleep Posture Can Save Your Spine - AI Podcast

Dr. Joseph Mercola - Take Control of Your Health

Briana Mercola

Health & Fitness, Health, Alternative Health

4.6 • 1.5K Ratings

🗓️ 19 April 2025

⏱️ 10 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Story at-a-glance

Cervical spine degeneration affects nearly 80% of adults. It’s primarily caused by poor posture, sedentary behavior and prolonged device usage, and often progresses without noticeable symptoms
Proper sleep positioning, especially lying on your back with specialized neck support, helps reshape and realign the cervical spine, preventing long-term structural damage
Movement is crucial in preventing spine degeneration, as lack of motion causes joint dehydration, reduced disc height, and muscle weakness over time
Using techniques like nasal breathing, a supportive pillow and maintaining proper head alignment will significantly improve your cervical spine health and overall sleep quality
Additional strategies like dead hangs, sauna therapy, and balance exercises help combat forward head posture and strengthen muscles supporting spinal health

Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome to Dr. Mercola's cellular wisdom. Stay informed with quick, easy-to-listen
0:06.1	summaries of our latest articles, perfect for when you're on the go. No reading required.
0:10.8	Subscribe for free at Mercola.com for the latest health insights.
0:15.3	Hello and welcome to Dr. Mercola's cellular wisdom. I'm Ethan Foster, and today we're exploring how improving
0:22.2	your sleep posture can enhance the health of your cervical spine. Cervical spine issues are more
0:27.7	common than most people realize, affecting nearly 80% of adults. Sedentary lifestyles, poor posture,
0:35.6	and the constant use of electronic devices all contribute to the
0:39.2	problem. In this episode, we'll discuss why these issues often go unnoticed, why sleep
0:44.7	positioning is crucial, and how simple changes can make a big difference.
0:49.6	I'm a Lara Sky, and I'm glad you're joining us. The neck portion of our spine, known as the cervical spine,
0:55.8	has seven vertebrae. These vertebrae support the head, protect the spinal cord, and allow for a wide
1:01.6	range of motion. Unfortunately, they also face a lot of stress. Constantly looking down at phones
1:07.7	or computers places extra pressure on the neck, speeding up the
1:11.5	degeneration of disks and joints. What's more concerning is that this deterioration often happens
1:17.1	silently without clear warning signs. That's a critical point. Even without obvious pain,
1:23.3	someone's cervical spine could be undergoing damaging changes. Over time, these changes can lead
1:28.8	to conditions like disc bulges, bone spurs, and even arthritis in the neck. One major culprit is
1:35.2	the forward head posture, where a slight tilt of the head forward adds substantial strain
1:40.0	to the spine. It's all too common these days. People hunch over smartphones or slouch at their
1:45.5	desks. The result is increased wear and tear on the neck. Exactly. Another dimension to this problem
1:51.6	is lack of movement, which can be just as destructive as bad posture. Our bodies rely on regular
1:58.0	movement to stay healthy. When a joint doesn't move, it begins to deteriorate.
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