Therapeutic Cervical Pillow: Best Solution for Neck Pain Relief!
A therapeutic cervical pillow is designed differently compared to most of the traditional pillows you've seen. It's hard to say but most traditional pillows only hurt your neck and slowly build up painful tension in your muscles and joints as you're sleeping on them.
As you're reading through this article, we'll show you in detail the big difference between a therapeutic cervical pillow and a regular pillow. How one can bring soothing relief while the other harms you instead.
What Is a Therapeutic Cervical Pillow?
A therapeutic cervical pillow is made with one purpose in mind; that is to help you relieve neck pain and tech neck tension. This is why when you look at a regular pillow and a cervical pillow, they have nothing in common from the physical look to the inside filling.
A therapeutic cervical pillow is designed for structured support while a regular pillow is designed for comfort. Both are made with different purposes in mind that's why they produce different results. A regular pillow comes in a rectangular shape with a lump in the middle and the inside fillings are most likely feathers. On the other hand, a therapeutic pillow also comes with a rectangular shape, but it has a cavity center, neck roll or wedge extension and two raised sides. The filling inside of a therapeutic cervical pillow is usually latex, polyester, memory foam, and water.
Because the designs are different, they support your body differently as well. One builds painful tension on the back of your neck while the other gently releases that tension. One puts your body into its natural alignment while the other forces your body to be out of alignment.
Therapeutic Cervical Pillows vs. Regular Pillows
A therapeutic cervical pillow gently cradles your head with its cavity center the moment you lie down. This helps your head stay in perfect alignment no matter how your body unconsciously moves at night. A wedge extension or a neck roll is what helps fill the small gap between your neck and the mattress, maintaining the C-shaped curve of your neck, preventing it from being strained while you sleep.
Two raised sides are there to support side sleepers. No regular pillows are firm enough to properly support your head while you're side sleeping. Have you ever noticed you're constantly waking up in the middle of the night to adjust your pillow or fold it in half to increase its height, or even placing your hand under your pillow for extra support? Whereas a therapeutic cervical pillow provides firm, comforting support, keeping your head in line with your neck and spine night after night. This ensures you sleep soundly at night and wake up refreshed without any neck stiffness because your muscles are no longer overworked.
When it comes to a regular pillow, because it has a lump in the middle, it pushes your head forward, flattening out the natural curvature of your neck. This slowly builds up aching tension in your neck during 6 to 8 hours of your sleep. As a result, you wake up with stiffness and pain in the back of your neck.
What You Need To Know When Buying a Therapeutic Cervical Pillow?
First and foremost, a therapeutic cervical pillow is just like everything else; one size doesn't fit all! Before buying one, it's good to measure the length of your neck from the bottom of your head down to the top of your shoulders. This will give you an idea of how wide of a neck roll you should be looking for. The neck roll should fit perfectly in the curve behind your neck. If it's too large and it expands to your head and shoulders, then your body is no longer in perfect alignment.
In addition, when you measure your shoulders, make sure you measure from the bottom of your neck out to your arm. Knowing this measurement lets you know how thick of a pillow you should buy as it will help fill the large gap between your head and the shoulder when you sleep on your side. This is also the reason why so many health experts and professional recommend therapeutic cervical pillows for side sleepers.
Keep these things in mind before you purchase any therapeutic cervical pillows to help you find the one that fits you best and delivers the soothing relief you want. Getting the right therapeutic cervical pillow can take some time and effort, but it's well worth it. It is considered the most simple and affordable method to help you relieve neck pain and tech neck tension in today's modern world.