Don't sleep in this position anymore! Be careful of sleeping in the "Huan Yang Sleeping" position that has become a hot topic!

Recently I saw everyone discussing the internet celebrity sleeping position “Resurrection Sleeping”, with mixed responses. Today I would like to talk to you from the perspective of an orthopedic surgeon.

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The "Huan Yang Wo" requires the body to lie flat naturally, with both hip joints relaxed, the soles of the feet pressed together, and the legs spread out to the sides, as close to the bed as possible, combined with the correct breathing method to help the body absorb more oxygen and restore health. It is an important exercise method in Chinese medicine.

Some netizens said that they felt very comfortable after doing this movement, some netizens said that their lower limbs felt "paralyzed" after doing this movement, and some netizens complained that they could not complete this movement and felt unbearable pain in their "hip joints" at the beginning. Why is this?

This position is similar to the action we use when performing hip joint imaging ("big hip" filming) in clinical practice - the frog position. The so-called frog position is to let the patient lie on his back with his legs bent at 45 degrees and stretched out as far as possible, sticking to the bed. The whole position is like a frog lying on its back, so it is called the frog position.

It is often used for the examination and diagnosis of congenital hip dislocation in children. When one wants to determine whether there are lesions in the femoral head, bilateral acetabulum anteroposterior position, bilateral upper femoral neck and lateral position, bilateral hip frog-style radiographs are also required.

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Our hip joint is composed of the femoral head and acetabulum, which is a ball and socket joint and a typical club and socket joint.

The normal range of motion of the hip joint is: flexion (lifting the leg forward): the normal range is 0-135°; extension (extending the leg backward): the normal range is 0-20°; abduction (lifting the leg outward): the normal range is 0-60°; adduction (clenching the legs inward): the normal range is 0-40°; internal rotation (turning the toes toward the other foot): the normal range is 0-45°; external rotation (turning the toes away from the other foot): the normal range is 0-45°.

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When the "big hip" gets sick, that is, when the hip joint suffers from diseases such as femoral head necrosis, hip impingement syndrome, and hip dislocation, the range of motion of the hip joint in all directions is reduced; at this time, the patient is unable to complete the "Huanyang Lying" movement, or experiences pain or even fear when doing this movement.

When in the "Huan Yang Lying" position, the hip joint will be in a state of flexion, abduction, and external rotation, that is, the "hip" will be in a "collapsed" state.

There is no problem for a short period of time, but if you stay in this state for a long time, such as falling asleep in this position, it will not only fail to relax you, but will cause cartilage or labrum damage due to the increased pressure between the femoral head and the acetabulum. The nerves and blood vessels around the hip joint are in a state of flexion and traction, which can cause nerve paralysis, obstructed blood circulation in the lower limbs and other pathological changes.

That is to say, maintaining the "Huan Yang Lying" position for a long time will injure the "hips", so don't sleep in this position.

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Sleeping posture is very important for joint health.

1. Lying flat: Lying flat is one of the most recommended sleeping positions, which can put the body in a natural state of relaxation and also reduce the pressure on the cervical vertebrae and spine.

2. Side-lying position: Side-lying position is also a good choice, which puts relatively less pressure on joints. In addition, you can choose to bend your legs slightly upward (with a cushion behind the knees), which can reduce the pressure on the knees and hip joints.

3. Prone sleeping position: Prone sleeping position is more likely to cause compression of the cervical and lumbar vertebrae, and is not recommended.

In general, lying flat and lying on your side are the most joint-friendly sleeping positions, but everyone's situation is different, and choosing a sleeping position that suits you also needs to start from the specific situation, such as whether there are problems with the cervical or lumbar spine, and whether there are any breathing obstacles.

Whether you are lying on your side or your back, maintaining the same posture for a long time is not good for your health.

Most people find it difficult to control their sleeping position after falling asleep, and they usually change positions. Therefore, it is particularly important to choose a mattress with moderate hardness and a pillow of appropriate height, and to maintain a correct and healthy posture before falling asleep, because these factors are controllable.

Correctly understanding or trying to use "Huan Yang Wo" may bring benefits to some people, but over-interpretation or incorrect use will be counterproductive.

After reading this article, you may want to do this exercise while lying on the bed. If you can complete it easily, it means that your "big hip" (hip joint) is normal. If you cannot do this exercise, or you feel pain in your "big hip" (hip joint) when doing this exercise, then you need to go to the hospital to check whether there is any problem with your hip joint.

Author: Ji Gang, deputy chief physician of orthopedics, First Hospital of Hebei Medical University

Reviewer: Shen Huiliang, Chief Physician of Orthopedics Department, Xuanwu Hospital