How to Sleep With Rhomboid Pain

Rhomboid pain, or pain that affects the group of muscles between the shoulder blades known as the rhomboid muscles, is a very common problem — and an uncomfortable one. If you’re one of the many people struggling with rhomboid pain, you know how excruciating it can be, particularly at bedtime.

Pain in the rhomboid muscles may make it difficult to fall asleep, since it can be hard to find a comfortable sleeping position. It can also wake you up, whether because movement during sleep triggers pain or because it just hurts too much to ignore.

Understanding this common affliction can help you learn how to sleep with rhomboid pain.

Understanding Rhomboid Pain
We have a rhomboid major and a rhomboid minor muscle on each side of the upper back. These muscles help keep our shoulders stable, and help us perform important motions like pulling, lifting and rotating.

Rhomboid muscle pain has many causes, including:

● Poor posture

● Too much time spent sitting

● Overuse

● Injury

In addition to pain, people with rhomboid problems may have symptoms like difficulty moving their shoulders or arm weakness.

Sleeping Positions to Avoid
When figuring out how to sleep with rhomboid pain, it helps to know which sleeping positions to avoid. It may go without saying, but side sleepers should try to avoid sleeping on the affected side, since doing so may make pain worse — and sleep more challenging.

Stomach sleeping is not recommended for those dealing with rhomboid pain (or in general). Sleeping on your stomach forces your spine out of alignment, putting strain on the rhomboid muscles to worsen symptoms and sleep.

Recommended Sleeping Positions
If you’re struggling to get comfortable because of rhomboid pain, it may help to try one of these sleeping positions.

● Sleeping on your back with a pillow under your knees, which helps keep your spine aligned and back muscles relaxed. To get in this position, simply lie flat on your back, slightly bend your knees and place a pillow or rolled-up towel underneath them.

● Sleeping on the non-affected side with a pillow between your knees and under your top arm, which promotes proper spinal alignment while reducing painful pressure on the rhomboid muscles. To get in this position, lie on your unaffected side and place a pillow between your knees, then place another pillow underneath your top arm so your rhomboid muscles can relax.

Adding pillows to back- and side-sleeping positions is an easy way to get better sleep with rhomboid pain.

Creating a Supportive Sleep Environment
When putting together the puzzle of how to sleep with rhomboid pain, your bed is perhaps the biggest piece. A supportive mattress and pillows are key to keeping your spine gently aligned and preventing muscle strain. Choosing the right firmness and construction materials helps ease rhomboid pain so you can get better, deeper sleep.

What’s the best mattress for rhomboid pain? Most experts suggest a firm mattress that is also soft, such as the all-foam Plank Firm. This type of mattress offers the right amount of support to keep your spine naturally aligned while also softly cushioning the shoulders.

For people who need a firmer mattress because of personal preference or higher body weight, a hybrid like the Plank Firm Luxe is a good option to consider. Hybrid mattresses combine the supportive durability of innersprings (metal coils) with the soft, body-contouring support of foam to help prevent rhomboid muscle pain.

Pillow-wise, the happy medium between soft and firm seems to work well for many people with rhomboid pain, allowing the muscles to relax for comfortable sleep.

Incorporating Sleep Hygiene Practices
Sleep hygiene refers to the habits and conditions that promote sleep, and it’s another important piece of how to sleep with rhomboid pain. To practice good sleep hygiene:

● Get up and going to bed around the same time — even on the weekends. Sticking to a sleep schedule helps your body follow the circadian rhythms responsible for quality sleep.

● Avoid caffeine too close to bedtime. Sensitivity to caffeine varies, but the general rule of thumb is to switch to decaf around eight hours before you get in bed.

● Create a relaxing bedtime routine. Whether it’s a hot bath, gentle stretches or a meditation practice, doing the same soothing activity before bed every night signals your body and brain that it’s time for sleep.

Additional Pain Relief Methods
When considering how to sleep with rhomboid pain, you may want to take steps to relieve symptoms during the day. Complementary techniques that may help relieve rhomboid pain include:

● Gentle stretching that specifically targets rhomboid muscles. Try stretching your arms out in front of your body with one hand clasped over the other and reaching out so you can feel your shoulder blades pulling away from each other, then lean your head forward and hold for 15-30 seconds.

● Applying heat or cold therapy before bed to relax muscles and/or numb pain.

● Taking over-the-counter pain relievers as a temporary measure when you’re in need of quick relief.

Incorporating these techniques into your daily routine may help ease rhomboid pain at night.

Seeking Professional Advice
You now have some general information about how to sleep with rhomboid pain, but it’s always a good idea to consult with a healthcare provider for more detailed information. A doctor or physical therapist can accurately diagnose rhomboid pain and provide you with a personalized treatment plan designed to meet your unique needs.