Pain in your neck impedes your productivity and decreases your quality of life. Repeated stress on your neck can lead to chronic neck pain, which may require surgery to correct. So it’s important to seek medical care and choose the right pillow to get rid of neck pain and stiffness as fast as possible.
In this article, you’ll learn more about the best neck support pillow to alleviate your neck pain.
Causes and Classification of Neck Pain
While there are several causes of neck pain, injury and muscle strain are the most common ones. The serious causes of neck pain are very rare, so you shouldn’t worry - but rather get your pain checked by a doctor.
Table: Classification of neck pain on the basis of duration.
Type |
Duration |
Acute |
Less than 4 weeks |
Subacute |
4 to 12 weeks |
Chronic |
3 or more months |
Neck pain often disappears quickly. In the United States itself, 15% of adults experience neck pain for at least one whole day. Generally, the pain goes away within a few days or weeks.
If the pain lasts for more than a few weeks, get it checked by a doctor.
Red flag signs of neck pain
When you notice any of the following symptoms, you should immediately seek medical care:
- The pain goes down your body into your legs, shoulders or arms
- The pain coincides with chills and fever
- The pain causes you to lose balance
- There is unexplained weight loss
Neck pain cure
To cure neck pain, In most cases, you only need to correct your sitting and sleeping postures. RICE therapy is the most effective treatment for injuries and muscles strains:
- R: Rest
- I: Ice
- C: Compression
- E: Elevation
While acute neck pain disappears with this technique, chronic pain may require medical attention.
Neck Pain Causes
Neck pain has several causes, some of them mentioned below:
- Injury or whiplash
- Muscle strain
- Wrong sitting, standing, and sleeping postures
- Cervical spondylosis
- Disc herniation
- Fibromyalgia
Most cases of neck pain are caused by muscle strain from injury, whiplash, or sleeping wrong.
Treating neck pain with a pillow
When Neck pain is caused by posture problems, it can be relieved and, in some cases, cured by using a special type of pillow - an orthopedic cervical pillow.
designed to relieve neck pain, orthopedic pillow work on the following:
- They improve support to your neck.
- They fit the natural curve of your spine.
- They improve the alignment of your cervical spine with the rest of the spine.
Benefits of a Cervical Pillow with Memory Foam
Because they come with different fill materials, it can often be difficult to select the one that’ll help you the most in your healing journey.
To make things easier, you can rely on a memory foam cervical pillow because memory foam relieves pressure from joints better than any other type of fill.
Let’s look at some of the benefits of an orthopedic cervical pillow with memory foam:
Unique Design to Enhance Support
The unique butterfly design of a cervical pillow enables it to improve support for your cervical spine. The design has a few key points:
- Hollow center: the center cavity is where you rest your head.
- Neck support: the extended part supports your neck when you go to sleep.
With improved support, your neck muscles and joints are able to relax and heal. Without stress and pressure, the pain goes away within a week or two.
Note: neck pain caused by medical conditions such as herniated disk may not heal by using the right bamboo pillow. However, you may find some relief when your posture and the support to your neck are improved.
Memory foam for Additional Support
The design of the cervical pillow already provides good support. Memory foam can fortify that support and ensure that your neck is consistently supported during the night.
Even when you move around, memory foam keeps changing its shape, offering good and consistent support so that you can heal faster.
Durable
Memory foam retains its original shape. Unlike other fills, memory foam bounces back to its shape and does not flatten out with time.
This makes pillows made with memory foam highly durable.
Another reason for its durability is its density. Because dust and dust mites don’t build up inside the pillow, you can use it for a very long time.
Hypoallergenic
Even if you have allergies, you can rely on a memory foam pillow as the material is naturally hypoallergenic. Further, it is impervious to common household allergens such as:
- Pollen
- Dust
- Dust mites
- Molds
Note: After your pain is healed, you can switch to a different type of memory foam pillow: solid memory foam pillow or a shredded memory foam pillow.
Conclusion
When you’re trying to heal your neck pain, correcting your own posture becomes the most important part of the process. Without proper standing, sitting and sleeping posture, your cervical spine will stay under pressure, preventing the pain from healing. You can rely on a cervical pillow, which is the best pillow for spinal alignment, to reduce pressure and relieve your neck pain.
FAQs
Q. Are cervical pillows the best pillow for spinal alignment?
Ans. If your neck pain is caused by poor posture or a muscular injury, then yes. They can also help with neck pain in some cases.
Q. How long do cervical pillows last?
Ans. That is largely dependent on the fill material. Because of the material's durability, a memory foam cushion can last for more than 5 years.
Q. Should I use a cervical pillow after my neck pain is gone?
Ans. Yes, if you think it's better than a regular pillow. A memory foam pillow, on the other hand, is recommended since it aids in keeping good alignment and gives superior neck support.
Q. When should I go to the doctor to get my neck pain checked?
Ans. If the pain is persistent or you see any of the red flag indicators listed in this article, you should see a doctor as soon as possible.
Neck discomfort is holding you down. We, at Sleepsia, have a solution that may relieve neck pain with a simple pillow.