Orthopedic Pillows for Neck Pain – Types and Features
Our neck is the region where the cervical vertebrae are situated. Even if most people do not pay much attention to neck pain, stiffness or discomfort, it may be a symptom of a serious problem. An immobile or deformed spinal column (including the neck vertebrae) can cause many dysfunctions in our body, that’s why it’s so important to protect and strengthen it.
Neck pain can have several causes: the muscles can be strained as a result of working for many hours in the same position (for example, leaning over your computer); whiplash can also cause severe neck pain; neck joints also lose their mobility as a result of aging; and lastly, you can experience neck pain as a result of an incorrect sleeping habit.
Many people are not aware that our sleeping posture has a huge influence on the health of our spine. If we sleep incorrectly, our spine will gradually lose its correct alignment, affecting the functioning of our entire organism. If you start experiencing neck pain, you should first of all analyze your sleeping habit: are you usually sleeping on a soft, crushable mattress? Is your pillow too big or too fluffy? If your answers are affirmative, then you urgently need an orthopedic pillow.
Orthopedic pillows for neck pain are therapeutic devices especially created for correcting our sleeping posture. They follow the natural curvature of our neck, also offering a good support to the shoulders – thus alleviating and preventing neck pain and stiffness.
There are many types of orthopedic pillows for neck pain available on the market. In order to choose the most appropriate one, you have to learn first the benefits and features of each one.
The memory foam orthopedic pillow, being made from a temperature-sensitive material, has the ability of conforming to the shape of your body. The orthopedic pillow made of fabric is most appropriate for side-sleepers. Being softer than the foam pillows, it will offer comfort to your ears and jaw. The ripped orthopedic pillow is perfect for those people who don’t like to sleep in a hot environment. This type of pillow allows the air to circulate around your neck because it has special vents. All these types of pillows have an ergonomic shape especially created to allow you to sleep in a natural, correct position. This will ease the tension that’s creating pain in your neck muscles and joints, allowing you to have a healthy, relaxed sleep. At the same time, the special shape of these pillows allows your breathing passages to be strain free, being a good remedy against snoring, sleep apnea and other sleep and breathing relating issues.
Besides these pillows for neck pain that are made for horizontal sleeping, there is also another type of neck pillow – the travel orthopedic pillow. It is shaped like a horseshoe and it keeps the neck correctly aligned whenever a person has to sleep while sitting (especially in transport). You can also use the travel pillow at home (when reading, for example), or at the office, when you feel that your neck muscles are sore and tired.
Besides these main types of orthopedic pillows for neck pain, you can find many other interesting brands and models. When choosing a certain pillow, don’t forget to do your homework first: read as many reviews as possible about this pillow, for making sure that it helped real people with real neck pain. Then, check if it is suitable for your favorite sleeping position and its texture will not cause you discomfort.
However, if you have any problems deciding which is the best orthopedic pillow for your particular case of neck pain, don’t hesitate to consult a doctor. It’s also advisable to replace the pillow once in every 2-3 years – it will gradually lose its initial shape because of repeated use.
