Rest and sleep are an important part of healing as the body recovers.  The use of the right pillow can improve the quality of rest and repair.  Pillow choice should be based on a personal basis as not all pillows work well for everyone. It however may take a short transition period for the body to become accustomed to a new pillow.  A brief trial of one week is usually enough to determine if the pillow is providing some benefit.  The pillow should be used to waking tolerance and then switch to previous pillow for the rest of the night. Each successive night, the time the support pillow is used should be increased.

Cervical (neck) pillows:

These pillows are contoured to fill the spaces under the head and neck and have been shown to be beneficial to those with neck pain.  The pillow has a cut-out or a depression where the head lies and additional support under the neck.  This keeps the neck and back aligned in the neutral position which assists in the tissues healing.

By providing proper neck support, cervical pillows can help with:

•  Neck muscle and joint strains and sprains
• Tension headaches
• Whiplash injuries
• Arthritis
• Morning hand stiffness and swelling
• Temporomandibular disorders
• Stiffness
• Snoring (in some cases)

Use of a cervical pillow should be discontinued if after the brief trial period the pillow causes increased pain.

Cervical pillows come in a variety of materials.  A fiber pillow is blown to exact specifications, which insures uniform distribution and support. These pillows are intended to have the feel of a natural down pillow.  Polyurethane foam pillows come in a wide variety of density and firmness and will return their original shape after use.  These pillows are generally considered to be the most supportive with the longest lifespan of use.  Viscoelastic or memory foam pillows are extremely temperature and pressure sensitive.  They provide less support as they conform to the existing cervical conditions but are well suited for very acute conditions or conditions that are chronic and non-correctable.  Water pillows are also available that use a bladder within a fiber style pillow.  These pillows are adjustable as dictated by the amount of water filled. These pillows tend to be on the heavy side.

If neck pain and poor sleep are aows tend to be on the heavy sidee with the iod the pillow causes increased pain.p are a problem, cervical pillows should certainly be considered as a part of any treatment protocol.