Habit of sleeping sideways, ruining your shoulders...It's hard to wash your hair or wear clothes

Jun 26, 2025

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#. Mr. A, an office worker in his 40s who usually had a habit of sleeping on his right side, felt particularly heavy on his right shoulder when he went to bed, but he turned it over lightly because it was considered fatigue. Recently, however, more and more days have been spent sleeping due to shoulder pain, and on severe days, even daily movements such as washing hair or dressing have become difficult. Eventually, A, who visited the orthopedic clinic, was found to have inflammation in the right rotator cuff.

The rotator cuff is composed of four muscles and tendons (extreme muscle, parietal muscle, distal muscle, and subcapsular muscle) that surround the shoulder joint and help the movement of the shoulders and arms, and plays an important role in shoulder stability and motor function.

The habit of lying down for a long time in only one direction, like A, can cause micro-damage to the tendon due to constant pressure on the shoulder. This can cause inflammation or damage not only to the rotator cuff but also to the surrounding tissues that make up the shoulder, such as mucous sacs and joint sacs. In particular, in the lateral lying position, the weight is concentrated on the shoulder, so compression damage may be repeated in certain areas.

Inflammation of the rotator cuff can also occur in cases of repeated use of the arm, such as tennis, baseball, swimming, and cleaning, trauma such as sudden impact on the shoulder, collision due to abnormal shoulder structure, and aging and degenerative changes in tendons.

When inflammation occurs, pain appears in the front or side of the shoulder and is characterized by worsening when the arm is lifted. In particular, the pain may intensify at night, hinder sleep, feel restricted from rotating or lifting your arms, or you may hear a fricative sound 'tuk' from your shoulders.

If these symptoms are taken lightly and left unattended, inflammation can be repeated, leading to chronic pain, making it difficult to wash your hair or dress, and the overall quality of life can decrease due to sleep disorders.

In addition, if the inflammation persists, the tendon may gradually weaken and develop into partial or complete rupture, and in this case, surgical treatment may be required. On the contrary, reducing the use of the shoulder to avoid pain can lead to muscle atrophy, stiffening of joints, reducing the range of motion, and leading to adhesive articular cystitis (fifties).

In order to check the rotator cuff condition, it is checked through pain reactions and rotational force tests when lifting the arm, and accurately diagnoses the shoulder structure and tendon condition through imaging tests such as X-rays, ultrasound, and MRI. It begins with pain control and rehabilitation-oriented conservative treatment such as rest, poultice, medication, and physical therapy, and surgery is considered if symptoms are severe enough to interfere with daily life or rupture is suspected.

Lee Ji-min, director of the Joint Center at Daedong Hospital (Orthopedic Surgeon), said "Shoulder disease is often thought of only as aging or injury during exercise, but it can be caused by routine actions such as repeated posture or sleeping habits like Mr. A."The shoulder is anatomically thin and delicate, and repeatedly pressed posture can cause inflammation, and if left unattended, it can lead to structural damage and chronic progression, so it is important to seek orthopedic treatment early if abnormal symptoms appear."

For rotator cuff health, keep practicing muscle strengthening exercises that relax the shoulders sufficiently with stretching before exercising and train the muscles around the shoulders. Avoid the same posture for a long time, and attach your elbows close to your body when lifting heavy objects so that your shoulders do not strain.

During repeated use of the arm, take a break from time to time to protect the shoulder, and if you feel shoulder pain during your life, do not overdo it and seek medical treatment immediately to prevent chronicity and rupture.