Resting Positions for Chronic Pain Relief

Here are the postures that have helped me and my clients find chronic pain relief. These postures help to decompress your joints, relieve muscle tension, and promote recovery.

Pain-Free Postures

Lie on Back

A neutral position to help you find relief from chronic pain is lying on your back. Bending the knees or elevating the feet helps to take stress of the low back and might be more comfortable. If it feels good, place your arms up, out to the sides, or behind your head so your elbows touch the floor. This is a safe position as your body is supported by the ground.

Side-lying

Start by rolling on the ground to aid circulation and to use the ground for a massage. Support your head with your hand to stretch your shoulder. Try both sides. If side-lying feels good, raise up to the elbow.

Lie on Stomach

Push your hips into the ground or place a pillow under your hips to reduce the extension. Come up to your elbows if it feels good. You can also place both hands overhead if it feels good. Most people have flexion intolerance, so extending the spine by lying on your stomach should feel good after a few minutes. If this makes your pain worse, you might have extension intolerance and this position should be avoided.

Heel sitting

Open and decompress your ankles, knees, and hips, by sitting on your heels. Make your toes come together and allow your shins and the tops of your feet to rest on the ground.

Toe Sitting

Open up foot fascia and get your toes working by toe sitting. Cover your big toe knuckles with the ground. If this is too challenging, elevate your knees to reduce the stretch.

90/90

This position allows you to rotate or move as it feels good. Elevate your hips with a yoga block or pillow if it's too challenging.

Cross-legged

Elevate your hips to reduce the stretch. Avoid allowing your low back to round excessively.

Pigeon Stretch

The pigeon stretch will loosen up the outer hips. Use your elbow or hand to externally rotate the front leg and allow your hips to roll to the side if it feels good.

Squat

Squatting is a resting position for humans. It's how we ate, pooped, and rested. Allow your heels to lift up as you squat down and spend a few minutes daily in a squat.

Half-squat

This is a great option that allows you to flow while getting the squatting benefits. One leg is in a squat position while the other side is toe sitting or heel sitting.

Understanding the Effectiveness of these Postures

The above postures use gravity and body alignment to decompress joints and promote circulation of blood and lymph. Lymphatic vessels run parallel to blood vessels and a primary function is to recycle excess fluid to prevent swelling. Circulation of lymph is also essential for immune function and tissue recovery. The lymphatic system is like our blood circulatory system, but it has no pump like the heart. Instead, in order to promote circulation of the lymphatic system, we must use our muscles and movement.

While sitting in a chair is likely to make your pains worse, these resting positions are likely to make it better. Each position encourages different muscle groups to stretch and release, resulting in significantly reduced tightness. Play around with these positions and find some that feel right for you.

Embracing Your Path to Relief

Though these positions won’t directly address the underlying causes of your discomfort, they can provide immediate relaxation during moments of need.

Always listen to your body and consult a healthcare professional if pain persists. Take the time to find what works best for you to build a toolkit for managing discomfort effectively and promoting overall well-being.

I hope this helps! - Tom