Pillows For Neck Pain
Neck Pillows Insure a Good Night’s Sleep
A neck pain pillow can greatly reduce your discomfort by holding your head in an ergonomically correct position. Several different styles of cervical pain pillows exist to accommodate different situations such as lying down or sitting so that people with various neck ailments are able to enjoy a more productive and pleasant lifestyle. However, some supportive neck pillows are not just beneficial to people with neck or spine problems; in some cases, a neck pain pillow provides other benefits as well such as helping to reduce snoring and promoting better blood circulation.
Neck Pillow Designs
There are several different designs of neck pain pillows and each has an intended purpose. Some of the cervical pillows are meant for use when sleeping whereas others are intended for use in timed intervals (a few minutes a day) to help relieve muscle tension around the neck, shoulders and jaw. There are also many styles in-between, including neck rest pillows intended for travel or other situations a person will be sitting for long periods of time.
The Arc4life Cervical Linear Traction Neck Pillow is an excellent example of a pillow designed specifically for sleeping. This carefully contrived pillow is shaped specifically to help hold your head and neck in the proper ergonomic position while you sleep. An elevated “v” shape in this neck pillow gently cradles your head while lifting it (and the weight) up off your shoulders. Simultaneously, a built in neck roll supports your cervical spine (the neck) in the correct position. It is so effective that it can help restore the natural curve of the C-Spine which in turn may help improve one’s posture. This traction pillow may be used while sleeping on one’s back or on their side. The Arc4life Cervical Pillow has been meticulously crafted and is hand stuffed to standard firmness with high quality, non- allergenic, polyester fiber fill. The Linear Traction Pillow provides beneficial support for the C-spine and so they are sometimes recommended by doctors because they promote healthy sleep.
Pillows that hold your head and neck in an ergonomically correct position while you sleep have other benefits as well as their ability to relieve neck pain. First of all, since you can get a better night’s sleep without the neck pain, you will wake up feeling more refreshed. Additionally, holding the neck in the correct position also helps keep your air passages unrestricted which induces easier breathing and reduces snoring. Furthermore, circulation is enhanced since your muscles can relax when using an ergonomic sleeping pillow as blood flows easier through relaxed muscles.
Neck Pillow Styles
There are several other styles of sleeping pillows to help relieve neck pain besides the Arc4life mentioned above. Unless your doctor has recommended a specific pillow for you, you can choose from a wide variety of pillows that are intended to relieve neck pain. Some people prefer memory foam pillows which are available as contour pillows to help support the neck. Also, they find the memory foam more comfortable than polyester filled because the foam conforms to the individual’s body temperature, weight of their head, etc…
Many different shapes of neck pain pillows are available for traveling and when sitting upright—there are equally as many different types of stuffing used to fill the different shapes which are usually chosen by the manufacturer. However, many of the pillows for neck pain, such as a neck roll pillow, are produced by several different manufacturers and so a person still has a wide variety of materials to choose from. Some of the more common pillow shapes have been given specific names such as u-shaped, contour, or neck roll. These particular pillows are available from different manufactures and so they are easy to find with the firmness and filling of your choice. For instance, neck roll pillows come in various thicknesses and lengths with either a polyester (or other) fill or they can be a memory foam neck roll.
Neck Pillow Shapes
There are many neck pillow shapes and which one you chose often depends on whether you plan on using it during the day or sleeping on it at night. Specially designed pillows for sleeping allow you to rest in any position (on you back, side or stomach) and they allow you to breathe freely. Neck pillows for use during the day might be “U” shaped or even the shape of a dog bone.
People that need to use a pillow during the day will find the “U” shaped neck pillow particularly helpful because it will stay in place. The “U” of the pillow wraps around the neck and rests on the shoulders. So, if a person should lean forward for whatever reason, the pillow doesn’t slide down the back like some other pillows will.
Relaxation and Yoga Pillows
Not all pillows designed to relieve neck pain are intended for long periods of use. The Just Relax Tension Reliever by M.D. is designed to lift the weight of the head off the neck and shoulders for a timed session of relaxation to help reduce muscle tension and stress. These therapeutic neck supports are intended for use in sessions of 15 to 20 minutes to help a person relax and meditate. The good news is that Muscles will stay relaxed longer than it sometimes takes to get them that way. People who practice various forms of meditation or Yoga sometimes use the Just Relax support in their routine exercises.
Used on a regular basis, neck pillows not only help relieve neck pain, they reduce the likelihood of reoccurring pain because your head remains in the correct position while you sleep or rest. A pillow designed to relieve cervical pain offers other benefits such as enhancing blood circulation, helping to correct posture and to reduce snoring which makes a neck pain pillow a great choice for everyone…
Shoulder and Neck Pain from Traveling
Shoulder and neck pain from traveling is very common. Head rests on the back of seats of designed more for stopping the head from lunging too far back in case of an accidental impact than they are for comfort. In fact, with some travel seating whether it’s a car seat or a seat on a train or plane, the headrest simply can’t be adjusted well enough to provide comfort during the trip. One way to help prevent the shoulder and neck pain that happens as a result of traveling is to use a travel neck pillow.
Neck pillows for travel are not that cumbersome to take along for the ride; most fit easily into a carry-on bag. There are also some that are inflatable which can fit inside a purse or pocket. So why suffer shoulder and neck pain when you travel?