What's the best pillow for neck pain?
That's a question I'm often asked by patients because loss of sleep as a result of neck pain is always hard to deal with. The day time fatigue only serves to make the pain in the neck worse and the stiffness on turning around even harder to bear.
It's a well recognized fact that sleep deprivation or general tiredness lowers the pain threshold and has the effect of magnifying pain sensations. Neck pain or injury seems particularly prone to causing this kind of problem.
So - how do you choose the best pillow to ease neck discomfort?
In my view - it's all down to a bit of experimentation to see what works well for your own needs.
Some people invest in a memory foam pillow and find that it works wonders. Others try these and find that the firmness of the foam and the lack of give in the design only makes their pain worse the next morning.
A simple trick is to experiment with the pillows and cushions you already have available at home. I find that a normal soft pillow with a sofa cushion on top (you rest your head on the sofa cushion) works well for many people.
Another option is to roll up a hand towel and tuck it under your neck before you go to sleep. This keeps the head in a better alignment and often works well to ease morning pains or neck stiffness.
The main message is to experiment a little and see how it works for you.