Neck is usually overlooked among most Indian lifestyles. Due to our busy schedules, poor posture, stress and excessive mobile usage, our neck starts to suffer. After a full hectic day when your neck is supported by an unsupportive pillow, you wake up with a headache, stiffness in your neck and tight shoulders with an achy upper body. Here, the real culprit is your unsupportive pillow.
Leeford has earned a lot of trust in this space. Leeford Ortho cervical pillow is a medically designed, premium-grade support pillow that has many features. Breathable fabric and contoured design is specially designed to provide the required compression to the neck region. But before we go into the specifics of the product, let’s understand why you might actually need one.
This blog will help you learn which cervical pillow is helpful and which one provides the required support.
What Is a Cervical Pillow?
Cervical Pillows are the support that is specially designed to support your neck and maintain the natural curvature of your neck. When you wake up with a stiff neck, tight shoulders, or a dull headache, it can ruin your whole day. It is misunderstood as if it is happening due to stress or screen time. But the real culprit is the unsupportive pillow you are using. Using the right supportive pillow can make a real difference.
A study in NIH shows the effectiveness of a new cervical pillow on pain and sleep quality in recreational athletes with chronic mechanical neck pain. It resulted that the 80% of participants considered the DM2 perfectly comfortable and reported a good quality of sleep lying over it.
The most effective cervical pillow relaxes the spine. Especially the upper part of the backbone that maintains your head and neck as well. After knowing the mechanism and the features you can decide which cervical pillow is best for you.
How Does a Cervical Pillow Work?
A cervical pillow helps to keep your head and neck in a proper alignment. The ordinary neck pillow is flat and right. It is hardly designed to provide the cushion effect to your spine. If your head, neck, and spine are at the right place, the muscles around your neck can relax. This helps to maintain the better posture the whole night and have a good night, cozy sleep.
The basic feature that a cervical pillow has:
- An edge that is higher to support the neck
- A center that is a little lower to hold the head
- Curves that fit your body whether you sleep on your side or back
This design helps to distribute the weight evenly. It lowers pressure over the neck and head. With time, this can help to improve blood flow and also relax the muscles around the neck. This ultimately will let the cervical spine rest in a neutral position.
What Makes a Cervical Pillow Different from a Regular Pillow?
Most of the time, a regular pillow is made to be soft and comfortable, not to have a shape. It might feel good at first, but it often falls apart at night, leaving your neck without support.
On the other hand, a cervical pillow can help with neck pain:
- Keeps giving support all night long
- Keeps the neck from bending in a strange way
- Promotes the right way to sleep
You can think of it as the difference between sitting on a couch and sitting in an ergonomic office chair. One is comfortable for a short time, while the other is made to support your body correctly for longer periods of time.
Special Conditions When Cervical Pillow is Required
The features that are required for a perfect cervical pillow are:
- Long-term pain in the neck
- Stiffness in the shoulders
- Bad sleep position
- Stress from desk work
- Getting better after small neck injuries
Physiotherapists usually recommend it for people who spend time bending down their neck using their phones or laptops.
Benefits of Memory Foam Cervical Pillows
1. Improved Posture
The memory foam pillow keeps the shoulders, neck, as well as upper back arranged in a straight line. Maintaining it in a straight line during a nap or night sleep helps to keep the muscles of the upper region in a relaxed position. The contour shape of the memory foam is specially designed to conform to the shape of the neck, promoting accurate support.
It reduces the pressure on the neck as well as the shoulders. This forces the cushion to provide extra support to the extra-sensitive neck region. Due to the proper spinal alignment, the discomfort gets reduced. It relaxes the muscles by providing natural support to the neck as well as spine.
2. Neck Pain Relief
It is one of the major features of relieving the pressure. It distributes the weight of the body by managing the weight of the neck. When your head rests on the memory pillow, it slowly molds to the exact contours of your head. The neck, and shoulders get relaxed. The cervical pillow for side sleepers is specifically contour-shaped or wave-shaped. And the cervical design is specifically built to cradle the neck. It maintains the natural cervical curve throughout the night.
3. Maintains Hygiene
Memory foam was specially invented to improve the sleeping conditions while in space shuttles. Memory foam is safe to use and does not cause any allergies. Memory foam also inhibits the growth of any bacteria, germs, or dust mites.
4. Great Support
The memory foam pillow provides great support. It can take the shape of the neck. The weight on the shoulders as well as neck gets uniformly distributed all over the neck and spine, keeping them in position.
5. Contouring
The memory foam pillow adjusts the neck to the contour shape of your head. This keeps the neck from getting deeply embedded in the pillow. Thus, it decreases the pressure on the neck and spine. Eventually, giving you a comfortable, good night's sleep.
6. Easy Maintenance
Different from the normal pillow, it is easy to continue the hygiene of the memory foam pillow. The extra cover over the surface is the removable one. In case you have any stains on the removable cover, it can be removed and machine-washed. The spot gets cleared. It will make the pillow look fresh and brand new.
7. Improves Strength
The memory foam pillows do not get flattened like other normal pillows after prolonged use. It attains the shape of the neck and head. Also, it regains its original shape as soon as the head is removed from its surface. Unlike the other pillows, feathers and fiber develop lumps, get flattened, or sometimes get torn.
8. Muscle Relaxation
Either a memory foam pillow or a PU foam pillow, it relaxes your neck. The upper back muscles get into a comfortable position, allowing them to relax and heal completely. The pressure on the neck and the ear region gets reduced. This technique can be quite helpful if you do a lot of physical activities and carry the whole day's stress. During sleep, the extra pressure gets released. This is due to the reason that you keep your head on the extra-soft memory foam pillow.
9. Promotes Circulation
When the blood flow is improved, the poor alignment gets rectified and muscles get relaxed. The pressure points over the neck gets reduced which ultimately reduces stress over the neck, contributing to overall well being.
Memory foam vs PU Foam
There are dozens of pillow companies in market advertising for pillows claiming they are the best, which is not true. Making it more simplified the pillow as well as material, it will help you choose the effective one more efficiently.
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Memory Foam: Memory foam is made of the material that works naturally. It entraps the heat and maintains the pressure. It provides you comfort by maintaining the exact shape of your neck. Regardless of the movements, it cradles your neck providing you with the ultimate comfort. It is the best, especially for individuals who prefer a soft and contouring feel.
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PU Foam: Polyurethane foam pillows are quite hard and more rigid. They hardly lose their shape and maintain their shape the whole night. Ultimately, it provides comfort and gives stable support during the night. It is affordable and can be used daily for the long term. PU form is a good choice for people who have constant problems with alignment.
Can Cervical Pillow Work in Spondylosis?
Yes, a cervical spondylosis pillow can help people who are suffering from cervical spondylosis. It is the condition when the joints and discs in the neck wear down over time, which can cause stiffness and pain.
A cervical pillow helps by:
- Taking pressure off cervical discs
- Helping the spine curve naturally
- Reducing neck strain at night
It is not a permanent cure but it is a gear that may help to reduce the pressure over the neck. It can make you feel better and less stiff in the morning. The only condition applicable is that you should use it with the right medical care and exercises.
Can You Use a Cervical Pillow Every Day?
You can use a cervical pillow daily. In fact, your body can only benefit from proper alignment. When you continue to use it regularly the neck stiffness gets reduced. Some people may need a few nights to get used to the new pillow, especially if they are switching from a very soft one.
The consistency of the use of pillows matters. If you use a cervical pillow occasionally, it won't help you. Most people find it quite difficult to switch to the regular pillow as your neck gets adapted to the comfort of a cervical pillow.
Cervical Pillows for Neck Pain Alleviation: Each individual response may vary, cervical pillows for neck pain promise a good night sleep. The spinal alignment and the muscles get relaxed with the use of the right memory foam pillow. Leeford Ortho is the best that has been demonstrated for neck pain alleviation. Their design principles encourage the proper spinal alignment as well as muscle relaxation.
Leeford Ortho cervical pillow is specially designed with the set goals of reducing neck pain as well as discomfort. People who experience neck pain on a daily basis due to poor sleep posture, muscle tension, or mild spinal misalignment may find relief. They also experienced improved sleep quality with the use of cervical pillows.
However, when the neck pain is severe, a pain relief cervical pillow may not always be the solution for neck pain. Consulting a healthcare professional is very much recommended. A doctor will determine the root cause of your neck pain as well as provide advice on whether a cervical pillow is suitable for your specific condition.
Conclusion
After a whole day of hecticness your body gets fixed with a good night's sleep. Cervical pillows for neck pain hold the potential to be valuable allies in the journey to reduce neck pain.
Leeford Ortho Cervical Pillow maintains the natural neck curve, focusing on proper posture as well as alignment of the neck. It promotes relaxation, and offers a promising approach for those seeking relief from neck discomfort. These are aimed to provide you a pain-free and fresh morning.
FAQ’s
1. What actually a cervical pillow is?
A cervical pillow is crafted to maintain the curvature of the neck and head. It distributes the pressure over the neck. It reduces the pressure over the neck by maintaining the natural sleeping position.
2. What is the difference between a cervical pillow and a regular pillow?
Cervical pillow is a specially designed pillow which allows to distribute the weight of the neck as well as head. It helps to align the neck and head in the straight line. While regular pillows don't provide firm support to the neck region.
3. How long will it take to experience the relief from neck pain after using a cervical pillow?
The time period varies with the consistency of use. Some people can feel the difference at an early phase while for some it may take time to experience the difference in neck pain relief.
4. Can I use the cervical pillow in different positions at night?
Yes it is specially designed to use it in different positions at night. Also, it maintains the neck as well as the head in a straight line.
5. Can I permanently replace my regular pillow with the cervical pillow?
Ofcourse, as long as you want to prevent your neck from straining. You can replace your regular pillow with a cervical pillow.
6. Is it feasible to use a cervical pillow with healthy lifestyle habits?
Yes, you can use it for neck issues. Incorporate it with stretching exercises, physical therapy, and lifestyle modifications. Always consult the healthcare professional for personalized advice.
