What is the best pillow for neck pain?
I sleep on my side and wake up with a neck so stiff I can barely move it. I have tried firm and soft pillows, thick and thin. I want to get a pillow that is designed for neck pain but I have no idea what to get and what actually works. Any suggestions from those who have tried them would be appreciated.
Choosing the right neck pillow can be difficult with so many choices on the market today. I have a few suggestions to help you choose the right neck pillow and also a few solutions for helping a stiff neck.
1. You want a neck pillow that will fit you individually correctly. That means getting the right size of pillow: small, medium or large for your frame. If you are a petite person, getting a king size pillow is not going to be a good idea.
2. Choose the type of firmness you want: soft, firm, squishy etc,
3. What type of filling do you prefer: foam, fiber, buckwheat. Lots of choices here. If you have been recently injured, you may want a pillow that will adjust to your neck and upper back area. In cases like this, a memory foam works well.
These are some factors to consider when choosing the right neck pillow. I noted that you have neck pain, specifically you are waking up with a stiff neck. I do have a great neck pillow to recommend. It is called Arc4life’s cervical traction neck pillow. It has two sides to it: a traction side and a support side. The traction side has a special "V" that gives your neck and muscles a gentle stretch while sleeping. This neck pillow is considered to be a great cervical support pillow( see feedback link below) because it supports the natural cervical curve of the neck. It is composed of polyester fiber fill- made here is the USA.
You can sleep on your back or on your side with this pillow.
Here are some feedback for Arc4life’s cervical traction neck pillow:
http://www.arc4life.com/site/615058/page/913317
Frequently asked questions about this pillow:
http://www.arc4life.com/site/615058/page/158456
How to Choose the Right Neck Pillow
http://www.neckpainreliefkit.com/neck-pillows
How to Treat a Stiff Neck
http://www.squidoo.com/stiffNeck
Choosing a Pillow you can Adjust Easily
http://www.squidoo.com/AdjustableNeckPillows
Hope this helps.
Obviously, you can’t try every pillow to see which works best. Often, a new pillow may provide instant feedback the next morning that it is the right one. Sometimes, a week or so is needed to determine if it is right. This is called an adaptation period and there may be some discomfort as you get accustomed to the new pillow. This does not mean acute pain or a significant increase in pain or sleep disturbance – just some discomfort.
Videotape studies show that adults change their body position an average of 11 to 13 times per night. A majority of sleep time spent lying on the side, however, adults only spend 59–73% of their sleep in the side lying position, indicating that up to 41% of sleep is in the back position. This should be kept in mind when choosing a pillow that is specifically designed for one sleeping position. A side sleeping pillow may cause problems for those who change positions during the night into a back sleeping position. Ultimately, a pillow should allow the free motion of position changes during the night relevant to studies indicating postional changes are usually not a conscious movement.
http://www.necksolutions.com/how-to-choose-the-right-neck-pillow.html
Dr Jamie