Column What Are The Proper Sleeping Positions to Relieve Pain From Spondylolisthesis? Why Choosing The Right Bedding is Also Crucial

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09.05.2025

What Is Spondylolisthesis?

Spondylolisthesis is a condition where one vertebra in the lower spine slips forward out of its proper position.

Symptoms of Spondylolisthesis

Mild spondylolisthesis is often asymptomatic. It’s not uncommon for the condition to have progressed significantly by the time a person seeks an examination and receives a diagnosis.

The main symptoms of spondylolisthesis are lower back pain, and pain and numbness in the buttocks and legs. The specific symptoms depend on the degree of slippage instability, the extent of degeneration in the discs or separated parts, and the location and severity of nerve compression.

A common symptom is intermittent claudication, where pain and numbness in the buttocks and legs appear during walking, but the person can walk again after a short rest.

Sleep positions that reduce strain

Sleeping on your side

When sleeping on your side, it’s best to curl your body slightly and place a folded towel or pillow under your waist. This supports the lumbar spine and allows you to sleep without putting strain on your lower back and legs.

If the towel shifts in place, you can wear an abdominal wrap and place a small towel in the curve of your waist to keep it in place.

Sleeping on your back

Lying on your back can cause your lower back to over arch, so it’s generally best for people with spondylolisthesis to avoid this position. If you can’t sleep in any other position, place a pillow or cushion under your calves or knees to keep them elevated. This will slightly lift the lower back, which may reduce pain.

If the cushion slides out of place, you can put it under the sleeping mat.

Key Precautions when sleeping with spondylolisthesis

When you turn over in bed, movement can sometimes aggravate the pain. To prevent this, bend your knees and hips deeply, engage your abdominal muscles slightly, and move your upper and lower body together. This helps you turn over without increasing the pain.

Also avoid sleeping on your stomach, as this position puts significant strain on the lower back.

Choosing the right bedding is also essential

Selecting the appropriate bedding is crucial for people who suffer from spondylolisthesis.

Choosing a mattress or a futon

Avoid soft futons or mattresses that allow your body to sink in too much. Opt for a firm, high-resilience mattress instead. This prevents excessive sinking, supports your back, and reduces strain on your lower back during sleep.

Also, choose a thick futon or mattress, as thin ones can put pressure on your back.

Pillows

When selecting a pillow, choose one that matches the height of your neck. Properly supporting your neck and minimizing overall spinal misalignment can help reduce pain.

Other Tips

If your body gets cold while you sleep, you might instinctively curl up, which can end up straining your lower back. To avoid this, choose bedding made from natural, heat-retaining materials like cotton.

Finding a fundamental treatment for spondylolisthesis is also crucial

Our clinic performs the Florence Method and Q-Florence Method for spondylolisthesis.

The Florence Method and Q-Florence Method are minimally invasive treatments with low risk.

Under local anesthesia and sedation, a device is inserted percutaneously to widen the narrowed spinal canal.

Inserting the device helps stabilize the vertebrae while maintaining spinal rotation and flexion. It widens the spinal canal, reduces disc protrusion, and alleviates ligamentum flavum thickening. As the narrowed spinal canal expands, pain is relieved.