The relationship between neck pain and our pillow is more important than most of us realize! Any number of pillows (flat, medium, bulky) are made of different materials such as foam, feather, air, water, or memory foam. It’s usually not until neck pain and/or headaches start to become an issue that we start to think, “…how important is my pillow?” The question has been addressed in a randomized peer-reviewed study. So, what did they find out?
Pillow Study
The goal of a pillow is to support the neck more so than the head. A recent study on pillows and neck pain tested whether specific neck pillows have any effect on neck pain, headache, and sleep quality in people suffering from chronic non-specific neck pain. They tested a traditional pillow and 3 different orthopedic pillow designs. Each pillow had a different shape and consistency. Over a 4-10 week time frame, the pillows were randomly distributed to the neck pain group. Patients graded the pillows according to comfort, effect on their neck pain, sleep quality, and headaches using a standardized questionnaire. Researchers and participants concluded that a soft pillow with good support under the neck’s curve is best.
Pillow Suggestion
There are many styles of contoured cervical or neck pillows that vary considerably. This study supports the use of a specially designed style over a normal pillow. Some pillows have two options of “hump” sizes (located on the long edges of the pillow) – one short and flat and the other side taller and wider. Others recommend lying in the middle of the pillow if you’re a back sleeper vs. lying on the edge of the pillow when sleeping on your sides. A measurement taken from the neck to the point of the shoulder determines if the pillow should be small, medium, or large. The shape of water-filled and/or air-filled pillows can be varied by the amount of water or air added.
Dr Woodward personally uses the Therapeutica pillow and would recommend it to patients that are side or back sleepers. The bottom line of which is “best” is based on comfort and support.
