For some patients they have an everchanging need for different pillows. This can happen because of an neck injury, a repetitive movement that causes pain once in a while, or perhaps a kink in the neck.They may need a softer pillow or a firmer pillow at times. What is a patient to do in cases like this?
One alternative is to consider an adjustable neck pillow. One where the user can take out the material from the actual pillow. Yes, you can get the pump up with air kind, but I am talking about the kind where you can open up your pillow, and remove filling to decrease the support of the pillow or add filling to increase the support of the pillow. This might sound almost to good to be true. Could a pillow like this provide the adequate level of cervical support that you need. The answer is yes. These pillows can be easily fluffed and changed around that you can change the level of support very easily. Personally I use one of these pillows for under my knees as well. I removed much of the fiber (which was a combination of shredded memory foam AND polyester fiber fill), and made it somewhat flatter. Below is the Arc4life Adjustable Pillow:
Memory Foam + Fiber Neck Pillow for Sleeping- Adjustable Pillows for the Side & Back Sleeper with Washable Bamboo-Tech Pillow Cover
We live in a society where we are constantly on our computers and our cell phones all. day. long. That is why forward head posture is prevalent. Forward head posture creates a lot of stress for your neck, upper back, shoulders and midback area. It can lead to neck pain, waking up with stiffness, headaches, numbness and tingling, a feeling of heaviness and limited motion in the spine.
One area where you can fix your posture is using the right pillow at night. If you sleep on a flat pillow, you are not getting the support that you need. Our natural neck spine has a C curve in it. You need a pillow at night that helps to restore this natural curve in the neck.
Enter the arc4life traction pillow. That is the pillow that I recommend to help maintain proper posture at night. If you do not have a curve, have a little curve, or even have a reverse curve, this pillow can help.
Anatomy of the Arc4life Traction Pillow:
If you have forward head posture, rounded shoulders,or a hunchback posture- you need a pillow like this to fix your posture. Does it happen overnight. NO. Overtime, yes a change will take place. You can also add neck traction and postural exercises. But you have to start with sleeping on a contoured pillow so that at least your neck is in the right position while you sleep. This is where posture correction can start. For some people there is an adjustment period to using a new pillow. Keep that in mind. One final thought. You need to order the right size of pillow. Some pillows are one size fits all. Not the arc4life traction pillow- it actually comes in a small, medium and large. In general, if you are under 5'ft order the small, over 6 ft order the large. If you are in between, order the medium. This is just a general recommendation. If you need further information about the right size, contact me here at Neck Pain Support and I can help. It also depends on your weight, frame and what you currently use for a pillow.
The posture pump cervical traction unit is a simple, comfortable and effective traction unit. Here is a quick demonstration on how to use this neck stretcher easily at home. This neck stretcher provides relief for neck pain, pinched nerve in the neck, stiff neck, cervical radiculopathy, numbness and tingling, forward head posture, tightness in the neck, shoulders and upper back.
You need to choose the best cervical traction unit for your nagging neck pain and right hand numbness. Which unit do you choose? There are so many cervical traction units to choose from. First, lets start with what exactly does neck traction do?
it restores the normal position of the spine
it widens the intervertebral space - which is the space between each of the bones in the neck
it decreases pressure on the spinal cord and the nerve root
helps to reduce muscle spasms of the neck and shoulder muscles
it increases blood circulation, joint flexibility and muscle strength
it increases your neck range of motion.
Here is a great video demonstration on how the posture pump cervical device works:
In Part II of this blog post, we will look at what criteria to look for when purchasing a new traction unit. Also I will demonstrate how to use a Pronex Cervical Traction Unit, a popular neck tractioning device often recommended by chiropractors.
I just ordered a contoured neck pillow, called the arc4life traction pillow. It is causing my neck a lot of pain somehow which is a shame because I really wanted it to work! -Ada
Dear Ada, Thank you for your email. Any contoured neck pillow takes a while to get used to for patients, especially those who have neck pain to begin with. It is not meant to be used the whole night right in the beginning. We recommend that you first sleep on the pillow for no more than 5-10 minutes, and keep increasing by 10 min each night. Second, you should be starting to use the support side of the pillow, not the traction side.
I would recommend you try it one more week. Then email me back. I think it is worth it. Okay, so start :
1st night: 10 min
2nd night: 20 min
3rd night: 30 min
Sleep on the support side to start. On the 4th night, try 45 min- 1 hr.
One more thing I want to mention you can do with the traction "V"side of the pillow. Use it for a gentle neck stretch. Simple lay on your back on the V part of the pillow. Not sleep, just lay on the pillow. Set a timer for 10 minutes to start. Next day do 15 min. Keep working your way up to 25 minutes.
Here is a short video showing you the features of the arc4life traction pillow:
Keep in mind, that if you are used to using a flat pillow to sleep every night and now have switched to a contoured neck pillow, it is going to take some time. You may wake up with a neck ache and soreness if you decide to sleep the whole night through the first night (not recommended). You will be engaging different neck muscles when you use a pillow with curves on it like the arc4life traction pillow.
I truly think it is worth a try, as this pillow has helped many patients in the past provide neck pain relief. - Nav
"HI Neck Pain Support.....x-Ray done C5-C6 decrease of space between .....neck pain and some dizziness, on off 4 weeks now , upper back muscle pain and spasms too...any recommendation for treatment "
-Nick November 2016
Dear Nick,
Thank you for your email. I would recommend chiropractic treatment for you. A chiropractor can assess whether you have misalignments in your neck and check your posture. They can address also muscle spasms and muscle pain that you mentioned in your neck and upper back area as well. They have a variety of treatments that can help such as trigger point therapy and using a tens unit. A chiropractor can also look at your neck x-ray and tell you if you are cleared to do neck traction. A type of device that stretching the neck very gently, opening up the spaces between the vertebrae. Also know as cervical traction, this can yield a lot of relief for patients.
Also, I would recommend that you change the pillow that you use at night. This can make a huge difference. If you use a pillow called the arc4life traction pillow it can help to open up the space between vertebrae C5 and C5. This can help tremendously with the neck pain that you are experience. In addition to having your pain evaluated by a chiropractor, I would also recommend using a hot pack at home. This can help with tight muscles and helping to relax upper back muscles: upper trapezius, rhomboids muscles and suboccipitals and cervical paraspinals in the cervical area. Doing a little gentle neck massage can also be beneficial.
Please help me find the proper pillow , should I call during the week ?
I am presently seeing a chiropractor but she will not recommend a pillow .
I have a bulging disc in neck and stenosis between shoulders. Just very recently I started waking up with a lot of neck pain . It feels like a pulled muscle but as the day goes on it gets some better . The chiro has adjusted me once for this as it just started last week . I'm also using bio freeze to help . The right side of my neck , shoulder and the dr said my trapezius is causing the pain . I'm not sure what started it but I dread going to bed . I have purchased several different pillows from the store and each one seems to make it worse . I already suffer with lower back pain and siatica I don't need these going on as well . The whole right side of my neck hurts and it's difficult to turn my neck to the left . I've been doing the stretches I found on your website , thanks so much .
Oh , I am a side sleeper and a lefty so I tend to sleep on my left side but the right side of my neck is killing me . I would appreciate any suggestions please. Thank you
Marvina
Dear Marvina,
Thank you for your email. I would recommend our arc4life traction pillow.
That is the link so you can look at this pillow. I am going to recommend this pillow specifically because it has a traction "V" side. This part of the pillow will specifically help the bulging disc. You can use the pillow two ways:
For sleeping: sleep on either the support side or the traction side. The support side is softer, and this might work better for you in the beginning. Don't sleep on the pillow the entire night. Start with 10-15 min. If the pillow contours bother you, change back to the pillow you are using regularly. With the traction pillow you can sleep on your side or on your back. Right side or left side - the pillow will work for both sides.
For Use During the Day: Just lay on the pillow during the day for 10 minutes to start. On your Back. On the Traction V Side. This will give you gentle neck traction. Set a timer for this. Continue this regularly, at least once a day. You can gradually increase your time doing this gentle manual traction.
Also, I would like to recommend the right size to you. Can you send me your height and weight please? I will recommend the small, medium or large size for you.
[Customer did email us back and stated that she is 5’6 and weighs 160 lbs- In this case a medium standard size neck pillow will work well for this patient. The medium size is 24”x17”]
It’s great that you are seeing a chiropractor. One of the reasons she may not be recommending a pillow to you is because you are in the acute phase of care. That is why i mentioned to you to gradually start using the pillow.
I am also going to suggest a hot and cold pack for you. One especially for the neck and shoulders
You can use this as a heating pad or as a cold pack. This will help the muscles of the neck and shoulders. Please email us for any further questions. Thanks
"The Arc4life Pillow has helped many patients with neck pain, numbness and tingling, weakness in the extremities. Knowing how to use it effectively is important." — Arc4life Pillow Experts
The 2 Key Components of This Pillow If you look at this picture above, notice the two sides of the pillow. You have a neck roll on one side (the top part of the pillow) and you have a part where there is a "V" coming out at you. Do you see the V at the bottom of this pillow?
The V Side - Gives your neck a gentle stretch or "traction"
See below for Dr.Bellinger's video for further clarification on how to use this neck pillow and the 2 key components:
How to Use the Pillow When You First Get it Home
First look at the pillow and familiarize yourself with the two sides that we have mentioned above.
Know that you can sleep on either side.
Which side you sleep with will depend on a few things.
If you suffer from neck pain, headaches, stiffness, numbness and tingling, or weakness in the upper extremity, the traction side will be most therapeutically beneficial for you.
If you are looking for a support roll pillow, use the support side.
If you have a lot of sensitivity in the neck area, start with the support side. It is gentler and softer to use.
You can Use this Pillow for Sleeping and ONE MORE THING
Use it During the Day and at Night (in different ways)
Naturally, one would think that the only way to use this pillow is for sleep. Yes, this is the main way to use the pillow. However, we have a lot of Dr's who recommend this pillow to their patients to use it in the beginning just for traction. This involves laying on the pillow for 10-25 minutes to achieve a gentle neck stretch. The patient is recommended to lay on the traction v part of the pillow during the day, and to sleep on the opposite side of the pillow. This works well for patients who have a lot of neck pain.
Getting used to using a new pillow might take some time
You can sleep on your side or on your back.
For those patient who suffer from neck pain or who have a lot of sensitivity in their cervical spines, getting used to this pillow might take some time. We always compare this is working out at the gym. When using the arc4life traction pillow, you will be using different neck muscles - muscles that you may not be used to getting stretched. Just like working out a new muscle group at the gym, you might experience some muscle spasms or pain with using this pillow for the first few days. Keep in mind that this is normal.
How to get Accustomed to the Two Sides of the Pillow
The neck roll side of the pillow is gentler and softer than the traction side of the pillow. For someone starting for the first time using this pillow, we would recommend that you start with the neck roll side.
Don't feel that you have to sleep with the pillow the whole night thru from the very beginning. Slowly get used to it. Start by sleeping on the pillow for about 15 minutes. Let your neck muscles get used to it and relax as much as you can. Then put the pillow away and use what you normally use. The next night, use the pillow for 20-30 minutes. Same thing - relax and allow your neck muscles to get used to the new pillow. The next night, try for one hour and go from there. You can sleep on your side or on your back.
You can see the two parts of the arc4life traction pillow here in this picture.
The Traction V Side **May** be hard to get used to (for Some).
As we noted previously, using the support side of the pillow will be easier in the beginning for most patients.
However, lets say you have a very painful neck condition, and you really want to get some relief. Especially from something like a herniated disc, bulging disc or neck arthritis.
Use the Arc4life traction pillow as a traction unit. Set a timer for 10 minutes to start. Lay on the traction V side for 10 minutes on your back. This is similar to using a traction unit such as the posture pump or over the door neck traction unit. The next time you do neck traction, lay on the V side of the pillow for 15 minutes.
Doing neck traction everyday when you have a neck condition can provide a tremendous amount of pain relief.
"I have used the Arc4life Chiropractic Cervical Linear Traction Neck Pillow (large) for only a week and most of my neck pain has vanished. Another result has been an improvement in flexibility because I can move my head farther to the right and left." — Tom Robertson (October 2015)
I need specific help with my neck condition and choosing the right product...
Well there is a solution for that. Arc4life has customer service available to help you decide which pillow is best for you. Whether its the arc4life pillow or another pillow altogether. Their customer service # is 1-800-605-7079. There are 2 dedicated pillow specialists who can help you. If they are not available, they will call you back during normal business hours. Just leave your name, number or email address. Customer service turnaround time is pretty quick.
Watch this video for help dealing with your neck and upper back pain. Start by loosening or warming up, then do these exercises regularly. Keeping some of these muscles strong will help prevent pain and stimulate healing. These exercises can all be done using your own hand for resistance. You can also use a "Theraband" or even a towel.
First, I want to mention some natural therapies and treatments, then we'll talk about things in the diet, then a few things you can also easily do.
Doctors/Therapists/Treatments
Chiropractor - this doctor can help you stay at your best by keeping the nerves free and clear from unwanted pressure. This keeps you pain free but also keeps the body working at its best.
Naturopath - like the Chiropractor, he or she will do things naturally (meaning no prescription of drugs or medications) to get you better. They may utilize numerous techniques, including diet and supplements.
Acupuncturist - these doctors use needles on what's called meridians for relief and improved health. They've been using this for a very long time in the Far East; don't knock it until you try it.
Massage Therapist - everything in the body is connected, and the muscles, ligaments, and tendons play a big part. Your massage therapist can help relax those muscles so your body functions better.
Diet
Turmeric - there is a lot that can be said - it's a natural pain-reliever and anti-inflammatory. I know some that use it for everything under the sun.
Ginger - get the root, it'll be in your local supermarket in the produce section. Nowadays, you can get at target or walmart too.
Coffee - always make fresh because it loses some of its qualities after a while. Drink the regular caffeinated stuff (I recently read some good qualities of caffeinated plus I'm not sure if they take out other stuff or put fillers into decaf).
Cranberry - I've read some positives on this too. It's especially good at helping a urinary tract infection. They have what's called phytonutrients which help prevent a slew of things.
Cherry - this helps detox the body, the kidneys appear to be one area that benefits. It also benefits sleep and is a naturalanti-oxidant.
Getting a Good Night's Sleep Can be a hard thing to acheive. For starters, you have to be able to fall asleep, then stay asleep and then wake up feeling rested.
One of the components of getting good sleep is knowing I am sleeping with the right pillow. How do you know you have a good pillow. Well here are some criteria.
You can sleep on your side comfortably
You can sleep on your back comfortably
You don't wake up in pain
You can move around easily during the night time
You don't have pain while you are laying on your pillow
You feel like your neck is being supported while laying on your bed
A good pillow will help to relieve any type of neck pain you may have
Sometimes you have to try out a few different pillows before you figure out that you have something that works for you.
If you suffer from pain due to a pinched nerve, a bulging disc or a herniated disc, arthritis or degeneration - you may have to test out a few pillows to figure out what is going to work for you. This can be a painful process.
Also a different pillow may be "right" for you at a different time in your life. For example, let say you just had a fusion neck surgery. Well, the pillow you normally use may not suffice. Using a pillow that conforms to your head and neck may be a better choice for you. Perhaps something made of memory foam.
For me, personally having the right pillow is key to getting a good night of sleep. I know that when i am away from my house, my sleep suffers. So does not my neck. I try not to leave home with my "GOOD" pillow these days. Its just not worth it.
