Neck Pain Support Blog

Been comfortably sleeping on this pillow since 2014.....

One of the pillows that we love here at the Neck Pain Support Blog, because it offers great neck support is the arc4life cervical linear traction neck pillow. Since 2003 this pillow has been giving effective cervical support to patients with a herniated disc, neck pain, disc bulge, neck arthritis, occipital neuralgia, forward head posture and more.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Been comfortably sleeping on this pillow since 2014! Worth every penny!

Reviewed in the United States on October 6, 2022 Size: Medium 24"x17" Color: White

Purchase I had my first stiff neck as a child. As an adult, I got at least a few per year. I bought this pillow in 2014 and have not had a stiff neck since! It’s been 8 years! I love this pillow and can not use anything else now. I take it with me when I travel, even if it’s only for a night. I know it’s expensive, but it’s worth it.- Lily

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ No More Pain

Reviewed in the United States on October 5, 2022 Size: Medium 24"x17"Color: White

I never knew such things existed but now I can say this truly is a magic potion for waking up with no back, shoulder and neck pain. I can even position myself just so to sleep on my side. It's very sturdy and clean and well packaged. I will never sleep on a crappy gelly like hot memory foam again. I'm pleased beyond words.- Carin

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Works well

Reviewed in the United States on September 10, 2022 Size: Large 28"x17"Color: White

I feel like I’ve spent more money and wasted more time trying to find the perfect pillow than I’d like to admit. This is the one I’ve settled on for now. To me, it has the right combination of give and support, and there are multiple positions to use depending on if you side sleep, sleep on your back, etc. I’ve been pretty satisfied with this pillow and will probably look around at what else is out there when it’s time for a new one, but I easily could end up purchasing another one of these. Overall, I’m pretty pleased with this one. - Ben

Arc4life Cervical Traction Neck Pillow

Review of a Pillow that Works for Patients with a Pinched Nerve

Finding the right pillow is not always easy to do, especially when you are experiencing pain. Today I want to show a review of one pillow that works well for a patient with a pinched nerve due to bad posture, a herniated disc, or bulging disc. 

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The arc4life traction pillow can help alleviate radiculopathy symptoms such as numbness and tingling, hand and finger weakness, neck pain, and shooting pains.

Happy Halloween 2020 from the Neck Pain Support Blog. 2020 will go down in the books as one of the most different years, especially on the holidays. Kids are ready to trick or treat but how can they with covid 19 going on? A crazy year, that we will all remember. 

Additional Reading:

• Causes of neck pain you might not think of
• Arc4life Twist Pillow works great for patients who are travelling or for kids in the car
• Contoured Kids Pillows Designed for Smaller Cervical Spines
• Arc4life's Linear Gravity Neck Pillow- Small Size for Toddlers, Teens and Petite Individuals
• Change up the loft of your pillow easily
• Upper Back Stretches you can do anywhere

Traction Pillow Vs Gravity Pillow Vs TriCore Pillow

Lots of fiber pillows on the market today, and today I had a very nice woman call me to help her decide which pillow to choose. The Arc4life Traction Pillow vs the Arc4life Gravity Pillow vs the Tri Core Pillow. Also, she was concerned about the size of pillow that would be best for her. She mentioned that she had some balance and dizziness issues and neck soreness. She was going to PT for neck pain treatment. Nothing was really helping and she was considering changing her pillow. 

Choosing the right size is actually the easiest decision to make. Either it is going to be small medium or large. This decision should be based on ones height and weight. See the chart below. This particular patient was 5'3" and weighed 135 lbs. For her, I recommended a medium size (Standard 24"x17").

So the next question becomes, what type of firmness does one prefer in their pillow?

If someone likes a firm pillow, then my recommendation is the tricore pillow (either the gentle or the firm version). The fiber in this pillow is densely packed into the pillow, making it a very firm pillow. Also the fiber is machine blown in, also creating a more dense pillow that is more firm to lay on. 

If someone does not like a firm pillow,then the choice is between the arc4life traction pillow or the arc4life gravity pillow. These two pillows have a lot more "give" than the tricore pillow.

If a patient has a lot going on in their neck, for example:

• herniated disc
• bulging disc
• headaches (migraine or tension)
• forward head posture
• lack of curve
• chronic neck pain
• whiplash
• occipital neuralgia
• cervical sprain

Then the best pillow is going to be the arc4life traction pillow. This pillow offers two different sleeping surfaces- a traction v side (for gentle neck stretching) and a support side (a neck roll). 

Finally, if a patient is looking for just a great cervical support pillow, the arc4life gravity pillow is a great option.

This pillow has two neck rolls on it. One broader, one more narrow. These neck rolls are designed to allow for the natural curvature of your cervical spine. Great for side and back sleeping:

This pillow comes in a small, medium and large size and again it is important to choose the right size to sleep on. The arc4life gravity pillow has been a big seller since in the 1980's and is still a very popular choice for many of our customers. An oldie but a Goodie, like we say here at Arc4life. For both the arc4life gravity and traction pillows, the fiber is hand stuffed into each pillow, and the fiber is softer and easier to adjust too.

Additional Reading:

• I just received my NEW Pillow... and HELLO, its nothing like my OLD pillow
• Do you have a Closet Full of Pillows?
• A Pillow that Gives you Neck Support - not just in times of Pain
• The Pillow for Alleviating Neck Pain
• Frozen Shoulder Fix..not for the Faint of Heart

 

Neck Traction Does Not Need to Be Scary.

If you are looking for natural pain relief options for neck pain - neck traction might come up. When you first mention Neck Traction to patients they sometimes have a dazed look on their face. They think you are going to hook them to a machine that causes a lot of pain. 

Neck traction can be beneficial for many conditions including:

• neck arthitis
• radiculopathy
• pinched nerve
• nerve root compression
• spinal stenosis
• fibromyalgia
• whiplash (not acute)
• headahces
• muscle spasms
• herniated disc
• bulging disc

I want to show my Neck Pain Support Readers that you can start off with very basic neck traction. This allows you to slowly get into neck stretching. Here are 3 easy things you can use.

1. First use the arc4life traction neck pillow, especially the traction V Side. If you just lay on your back, on the traction V Side of the pillow for 20-25 minutes you will get some pain relief. You are not sleeping on the pillow, just laying on the pillow. Set a timer if you have too. This is a great form of passive traction that you can do at home. Basically you are stretching the spine very gently and allowing the nerves to be freed up in between the vertebrae. One important side note, order the right size of pillow. Ordering the wrong size can cause you unneeded pain.
2. A little more advanced form of this would be to use a traction unit - such as the cervi pedic, or an omni cervical relief device. Basically these units cradles the head and neck in proper alignment, to encourage gentle traction and correct cervical curvature. They are both ergonomically contoured and allow total relaxation of the neck, shoulder, and back muscles. Note you can use both the Omni and the Cervi pedic lying down or seated. 
3. The most advanced form you can do at home is using a posture pump 1100 or a Pronex Traction Unit With this unit for example you can get up to 20 lbs of pressure.  I often recommend to use this in a chiropractor or Physical therapists office first to understand how to use it and use it correctly. You will then know what neck traction feels like. Also, a unit like this helps to correct the natural C Curve in your neck. So if you have forward head posture, or a hunchback posture, then can help immensely.

Using the Pronex for Neck Stretching Can be Easy to Set up and do at Home

Neck Traction can have quite an impact on patients health. It can help with pain relief, better posture, relief of radiculopathy symptoms ( such as numbness and tingling, shooting pains), headache relief and stiffness and help patients sleep better.

Just remember to ease into it slowly. That is the key. Nothing scary about Neck Traction.

Updated: 4/24/2020

Related articles

Who Does the Arc4life Traction Pillow Work Well for? (The Queen of Neck Pillows)

Neck Pain Support Blog: Optimize Your Posture While You Sleep with the Right Pillow

How to Use a Simple Neck Stretcher at Home

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.

Updated: 4/24/2020

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1st Starting With A Neck Pillow...Go Gradual

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Best Pillow for Neck Pain - Disc Bulge, Facet Arthritis and Annual Tears

I Have Pain When I Breathe?...

Kelly Ripa's Chiropractor Recommend an Alkaline Diet

I have a Short Neck...Which Pillow do You Recommend?

I recently received a call from a customer looking for the right pillow for her. She described herself as 5'5", weighing 270 lbs, and having a "short" neck . She stated that her neck was "stiff as a board" and her head hurt. She could not find the right pillow for sleeping. She had gone through so many pillows. They were either too hard to too soft, and her head folded over into the middle space. She had tried foam, fiber, even a microbead pillow which was great for two months only. Her goal was to find the right pillow. She was looking for a short-neck pillow and the pillow must must fit into her neck area- that was her quest. 

Getting the right pillow for the best sleep possible can be tough. It is important to find the right pillow that fits your head, neck and shoulders area properly. For this particular customer a medium standard size pillow such as the tri core orthopedic neck pillow (dimensions 24"x16") or the arc4life traction pillow (dimensions 20"x26") would not work for her. She needed something that was proportionally smaller, something that would fit into her neck area. Having a contoured pillow was also important so that she could get the right support for her cervical spine. Especially because she was waking up with a stiff neck every morning, having proper posture during sleep is extra important. 

So two recommendations I have:

1) the Petite Core Neck Pillow . This is a smaller version of the tri core pillow. It is a contoured pillow with neck rolls. A trapezoid depression in the middle of the pillow will help support her head. The neck rolls will give her cervical spine support.This pillow is great if she likes firm pillows.

2) The Arc4life Linear Gravity Pillow Small Size. This pillow also has a depression in the center. Two neck rolls provide support to the cervical spine: One softer, one firmer. The pillow is proportionally smaller in dimensions, so it will accomodate her "short neck" better: 23"x17". Also, you can get this pillow with extra fiber, making it firmer in support. 

Additional Reading Resources:

• How to Choose the Right Neck Pillow: What to Look for when making the decision.
• The Arc4life Linear Gravity Pillow: Extra Firm Support (special order item)
• What to do when you wake up with a Stiff Neck
• Forward Head Posture? Is this something that can be fixed?
• Getting to sleep and being comfortable: Comfort is #1
• Travel Neck Pillow that can be used for your head, neck , shoulders, and back

Related articles

Top 10 Gifts for Neck Pain Sufferers

Do you have a A Straight Neck? aka Military Neck

A travel pillow that is not U shaped

Why So Many Neck Pillows So Hard?

The Neck Roll Is A Key Component To The Traction Neck Pillow!

The Cervical Traction Pillow is two neck pillows in one. If you are using the traction “V” side you can turn it (or rotate the pillow) and then you can sleep on the Linear Gravity side (see picture on the right side). This pillow just has the neck roll, no “V” for traction. The “V” on the traction side also has a neck roll at the bottom of the “V”.

The neck roll is built on both sides because it is vital to proper neck traction, or what I like to call “true neck traction.” Just simply stretching the neck helps, and is good because it opens up all these nerve holes. But restoring the neck curve is also a major component to opening up your neural foramen. Restoring ones neck curves does this and not only reduces nerve pressure temporarily but helps to achieve lasting neck pain relief.

So, you can see how the neck roll is just as important as the traction aspect. When combined it makes a significant difference. Remember the statement "the whole is greater than the sum of it's parts". It truly applies to the arc4life pillow and is just one reason of many I like it so much.

Additional Reading Resources

• Order the Arc4life Traction Neck Pillow at the Neck Pain Relief Shop
• Understanding Neck Traction
• How to Use the Traction Side of the Arc4life Cervical Traction Neck Pillow
• 6 Ways to Improve Neck Posture
• Understanding the Arc 4 Life Pillow

How to Get Restful Sleep When You Are Suffering with Neck Pain

I get this question a lot on the neck pain support blog from patients who are having trouble sleeping at night because they suffer from neck pain. The neck pain may be due to a whiplash type injury, a herniated or bulging disc, a neck sprain/strain or because of bad neck posture during the day or at work.

In this post I want to go over some best practices regarding contoured neck pillows and sleep, that will help you if you suffer from neck pain.

• Your neck posture while sleeping with a proper pillow is VERY IMPORTANT! Sleeping positions that are recommended include: lying on your back and both sides. Sleeping on your stomach is not recommended as it causes rotation in the neck.
  
  You want to get a pillow that allows the neck to remain “neutral” or, maintain its normal curve that is present when standing. The pillow should not be too thick or too thin. Too thick and your head is going to be jutting forward, and too thin, you are not going to get the support that you need in the cervical spine. Since the neck is generally skinnier than our head, a “neck-friendly” pillow should be thicker on the edge so that it fills in the space between the neck and bed and thinner under the head. This is true whether we lay on our sides or back but the amount of space varies with age, gender, and your body type: thin, medium or heavy-set. Here are some contour pillows you may consider:
  • Arc4life’s Cervical Linear Traction neck Pillow
  • Linear Gravity Neck Pillow (available in small, medium or large size)
  • The Tri Core Orthopedic Neck Support Pillow- This one comes in a gentle or firm (standard). Keep in mind that they pillow is more firm overall (both the gentle/firm) than the cervical traction neck pillow. So if you are looking for a more firm pillow, go for the tri core family of pillows. The tricore family of pillows also include the midcore support pillow and also the petite core pillow.
  
  
  There are many contoured or “shaped” pillows available that are thicker on the outside edges and thinner in the middle. Some of these include foam pillows of different densities, air pillows, water pillows, memory foam pillows, feather pillows, and others.
  
  The Neck Pain Relief Shop even carries a pillow based on the measurement between the neck and the point of the shoulder. This allows an individual to pick the pillow size best suited for their neck size. The Cervical Alignment Neck Pillow is available in three lobe sizes to perfectly fit the size of your neck. You can measure from the bottom of your ear to your shoulder with a standard ruler or tape measure to determine which size provides the best personal fit for you.
  • Measurement of 4" or less, use the 5” Lobe
  • Measurement of 4 to 5" = use the 6” Lobe
  • Measurement of 6" or more= Use the #7 Lobe)
  
  
  It’s important to note that it can take about a week to get used to the “new shaped” pillow so, “BE PATIENT!” Since we spend 6-8 hours of time in bed sleeping (that’s 1/3 of our life is spent sleeping!), neck pain may be PREVENTED by using a proper contoured pillow and, it’s easier to get used to the new shape when you don’t hurt so take advantage of getting a contoured pillow when you are feeling good.
• Avoid caffeine at least 2-3 hours before bedtime
• Exercising too close to bedtime is not helpful.

Source:Glastonbury Chiropractor Dr. Bellingers October 2010 Newsletter
Picture Source: Wellness.Weblog.com

Additional Reading:

• When Lack of Sleep Can Be Deadly
• The Cost of Not Getting A Good Nights Sleep
• Which Sleeping Position is Best for You?
• Which Neck Pillow is Right for my needs
• Neck Posture

Neck Pain Episode- I need the right pillow to get me through the pain…

If you have recently had an acute neck pain episode, were involved in a car accident, or hurt your neck with a violent sneeze- then you may want to have a more "accomodating" pillow to sleep on. Treatment may include icing your neck, going to the chiropractors office, having tens electrotherapy treatment etc. Your goal should be to stabilize and accommodate the condition before moving forward. Treating your neck with some some extra TLC is important. The pillow you use here is going to be soft, forgiving and overall should make you as comfortable as possible.

As the initial intense pain goes away, you will probably want to work on correcting the problem. Support the treatment to regain 100% function in your neck is vital. Again, chiropractic, traction- maybe even some heat therapy at this stage. The pillow you use at this stage will have more support than the acute stage stage. You want to work on correcting the problem in your neck. Orthopedic pillows help tissues and muscles to heal. In preparation for the maintenance stage of care- this type of pillow can also help to alleviate headaches, neck muscle and joint strains, arthritis and whiplash discomfort and help restore proper nerve function. Having a supportive pillow is key.

Finally, the last stage of healing, you will want to maintain what you have achieved: full function, full range of motion and no more pain. Your Dr will probably prescribe exercises that include stretching and strengthening. This is when you can get maximum support in your neck and be comfortable with it. Pillows ideal for this Maintain Stage should ensure continued good health by helping preserve the natural curvature of the neck and spine. In fact, most people discover that once the normal curvature of the neck is restored, they crave the comfort of maximum support - the reason supportive pillows have grown more popular.

So what kind of pillow can you use for all three stages of care after a neck injury or episode of neck pain? Believe it or not, there are different types of adjustable neck pillows out there. You can use a convenient air pump with the air core tricore adjustable neck pillow. Increase or decrease the support with a hand pump.

Another great adjustable neck pillow is the Core Deluxe water pillow. That's right: Water ! Water instantly responds to changing body positions at night and therefore make a very comfortable neck pillow. You can also change the amount of support for your neck. IF you want a soft support pillow, decrease the amount of water in the displacement panel. If you want firm support, add water. There is also a built- in neck lobe that helps to keep your head and neck in their most natural position. This water pillow is very versatile and fully adjustable to fit every patient. Highly Recommended !


Additional Reading Resources

• The Right Neck Pillow for Herniated Disc
• Use my Neck Contour Pillow or Use My Regular Pillow?
• Why Adequate Neck Support While You Sleep Is Vital To Stop Neck Pain
• Pinched Nerve in the Neck
• Choosing the Best Neck Pillow for the Best Sleep Possible

Neck Pain While Working Out

It’s healthy to exercise or workout, but not if it causes you pain. It should make you feel good and energized, right?

One of the biggest complaints I get is “How can I avoid neck pain when I work out?” The main thing to keep in mind is that with most exercise routines you will work the neck slightly. Think about it- just lifting a barbell, you may flex your biceps or chest mainly, but you will also flex the majority of the neck muscles as well. Even while running your head moves. How about crunches for your abs, no matter what you do you get some neck involvement.

Here are a couple quick tips for working out neck pain free:

• when doing abdominals or crunches, instead of locking your fingertips behind your head, let your hands float behind your ears. This will prevent you from literally pulling your head forward.
• When lifting weights for a muscle group, avoid too much weight or pushing yourself to do extra repetitions when fatigued. If your triceps are exhausted, but you want to push out a couple more repetitions, your body will recruit other muscles. Have you ever seen someone at the gym who is trying to lift extra- you can see every muscle and vein pop out. Avoid this, especially when you are healing from a neck injury, and limit this kind of workout normally to prevent possible neck strain.
• I would also avoid a lot of running when your neck is sensitive because not only do you work the neck muscles slightly, but there will also be a certain amount of pounding which can aggravate a previously strained or spasmed neck.
• Since your neck muscles get a fairly good workout no matter what you do, I would avoid trying to hook a harness up to your neck and lifting weights primarily with the neck. This usually does more harm than good.

Working out your neck muscles and upper back is an important part of the exercise regiment. The benefit derived from exercising and being active cannot be overstated. Just make sure you are safe and taking the right precautions while working out.

Additional Reading Resources:

• Strengthening Your Neck Muscles for Better Health
• How to Avoide Neck Pain While Doing Abdominals
• Study shows that Strengthening the Neck Improves Quality of Life for Chronic Neck Pain Sufferers
• Stretches for the Neck that Really Work
• Exercise | Rehab | Balance Training | Increase Proprioception