What a Pain in the Neck!
(Every few days I blog on a ‘painful’ topic. That could mean a lot of things, and there will always be lots more information at our primary website at MyBlankHurts.com. Feel free to send me a topic, and I’ll blog about it).
Ok. I was lying on the couch last night reading Wasted by Mayra Hornbacher and watching Desperate Housewives (always multi-tasking) with four pillows propping me up. I fell asleep and when I woke up, my neck was miserably stiff. Ugh. What a pain!
Some basic pillow talk…
When sleeping on your back or side (the two most common sleeping positions), multiple pillows jammed up under the neck force the head into a forward (or side bent position respectively) that can strain and shorten the ligaments and muscles of the cervical spine while you rest. This can be the culprit to your neck discomfort in the morning and a contributor to other neck and spine problems that may arise in the future including the development of a dowager’s hump. (Note that forward head posture (during sleep or other daily activities) contributes to a dowager’s hump; cervical spine osteoporosis is the main medical cause of a dowager’s hump.)
Be Neutral!
It’s best to sleep with your cervical spine in its neutral position, which can be achieved lying on your back or side with the proper pillow support (stomach sleepers see note below). There are two big challenges to getting neutral: too many pillows and wrong pillows.
Many of us have been using too big and / or hard of a pillow or multiple pillows for so many years that our neck feels uncomfortable when forced to rest in neutral because the muscles and ligaments have become shortened over time by resting in the forward head or side bent position; they’re not used to neutral. BUT, being neutral will serve you well, as it has Switzerland. Trust me, sleeping with the right size pillow can help with current neck pain and prevent future pains in the neck.
So, if you’ve been sleeping with a big foam pillow or multiple pillows for many years, I suggest gradually decreasing the number of pillows over time until your spine is resting in neutral. And you’ve got to invest in a decent pillow that will support your spine adequately and comfortably.
Not all Pillows are Created Equal
Proper pillow support can come from a relatively thin, standard pillow or a special cervical contour pillow. (If you’re a side sleeper, you can use a cervical pillow, a cervical roll, or a standard pillow folded in half and nested in the curve of the neck to fill the gap between the head/neck and the bed to keep the head and neck in line with the rest of the spine, which keeps the neck muscles from tightening.)
There are many cervical pillows to choose from, however, many of the inexpensive pillows (under $20) are poorly designed with rigid foam, which does not conform to the natural contours of the head and neck. Look for a cervical pillow that will contour to the shape and size of your head and neck while still providing support.
Personally, I like down pillows; they contour to the spine nicely. I’ve found a good selection at Bed Bath and Beyond. I’ve tried the Tempur-Pedic standard neck pillow (from Brookstone) and found it to be stiff and it forces the head forward.
They have other pillows there that may be better, I just haven’t tried them so I can’t comment, (though the SupremePillow by Tempur-Pedic may be their answer to all the complaints they’ve likely received about the standard cervical neck pillow. I’m curious how people feel about it. Let me know if you’ve tried it).
There are many cervical pillows to choose from, however, many of the inexpensive pillows (under $20) are poorly designed with rigid foam that does not conform to the natural contours of the head and neck. Look for a cervical pillow that will contour to the shape and size of your head and neck while still providing support, such as those you can find from
CoreProducts 
or
Don’t be scared to spend a little extra on a high quality pillow. We spend 1/3 of our lives in bed, so find the right pillow – be good to your neck!
Aaahhh… sweet relief.
(A note to stomach sleepers: During the night, I sometimes find myself on my stomach with my head turned to the left. When I wake, my neck feels stiff and rotation to the right is limited because I’ve slept with the (left) sternocleidomastoid muscle shortened for some extended period of time. OUCH! Bottom line, it’s the most damaging sleeping position to the cervical spine. So try sleeping on your back and side with pillow adjustments as suggested above.)
Links:
Here’s an article on neck pain that includes guidance on how to reduce stress and the risk of injury to the neck by making small but critical modifications to your daily activities. It’s from the American Physical Therapy Association.
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Orthopaedic Pillows…
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