Woman Reveals How Wearing A Scarf Has Given Her The Best Night's Sleep Ever

Following a diagnosis of hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) nine years ago, Alyssa Greene would often wake up with dislocated shoulders whenever she slept on her side.

Greene, 23, tells Newsweek that her condition is "very debilitating" and she would often wake up "not only with a shoulder out of place, but with severe pain and tension in the surrounding muscles."

A physical therapist suggested that Greene, from Atlanta, should sleep with a scarf around her shoulders, which she was "so excited to try out." Much to her amazement, the trick relieved some of her pain and prevented her shoulders from dislocating during the night.

EDS is a connective tissue disorder affecting the body's collagen and proteins, which can lead to hyper-elasticity of the skin, hypermobility of joints, scarring, and fragile blood vessels. However, there are 13 subtypes of the condition, which can have varied symptoms.

It's difficult to know the exact prevalence of EDS, but the National Institute of Health (NIH) estimates that it's somewhere between one in every 5,000, to one in every 100,000 people.

The NIH highlights that hypermobile EDS is the most common form, affecting approximately one in every 10,000 people.

How Does The Scarf Trick Help?

Once Greene started using the scarf trick, she was so pleased to finally be able to sleep on her side without her joints dislocating.

"My connective tissue disorder causes frequent joint dislocations due to a genetic mutation of the collagen protein, which is the glue that holds your body together," she said.

"I was shown the scarf trick by my physical therapist, and the feeling of laying on my side and not having my shoulder slip out was amazing. It helps me by preventing joint hyperextension, muscle strain, and spasms, and just allowing me to lay on my side comfortably."

Physical therapist Valerie Iovine, from Philadelphia, explained that it's a useful brace to help correct posture while also strengthening the muscles.

Iovine told Newsweek: "Since people with this condition don't have the support that most people have in their body, in order to avoid dislocations, there is a higher demand placed on the muscles. Training the right set of muscles, and gaining overall strength, can aid in the stability that is otherwise lacking.

"The reason the trick of tying the scarf around the shoulders and upper back works is because it is effectively creating a posture correction brace. Getting the motivation to build muscle when you are living in chronic pain, probably with a side of dizziness, stomach pains and headaches, is surely not easy, so being able to accomplish this while sleeping is a plus."

Iovine has a vested interest in helping patients with EDS, as she too lives with the condition. She can understand what other people are going through not only as a physical therapist, but also as a patient herself.

"Giving yourself the ability to hold your joints in place with active stability from the muscles, lessening your predisposition to dislocations, is a healthy way to manage EDS," she added.

How Did TikTok React?

Greene doesn't use the trick every night, however if she's having trouble sleeping on her back then she will grab the scarf and lay on her side instead.

As helpful as the scarf trick is for Greene, she insisted that it "is not a cure," and more of a short-term fix. She also does plenty of physical therapy and exercise to build strength in her shoulders.

She shared the video on her TikTok account (@thesickshow) in June, and it quickly went viral with over 12.5 million views. The clip received more than 1 million likes and 3,400 comments from people who were left incredulous by the tip, and many who wanted to know more.

One comment on the post reads: "Thank you for blessing me with this information – serious game changer."

Another person responded: "The scarf keeps you in place without limiting the normal range of motion. Love it! Safe and effective."

Update, 10/17/23, 6 a.m. ET: This article was corrected regarding the 13 subtypes of EDS.

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