Recently I came across a review for the arc4life cltraction pillow and I had to comment on it. Here is the review.
Solves my neck pain, is comfortable but loses shape/firmness at 12 months
I've been diagnosed with Military Neck and have been sleeping with a rolled up towel for a pillow to treat this as well as address the pain. I bought this pillow July 28, 2011 and have used it every night since then. Every night I had neck pain with any pillow, or rolled up towel, so when I first used this and had neck pain, it wasn't a concern to me.
Pros - Works great! Looks like a regular pillow
Cons - cost, durability
Starting with the morning after the 2nd night, I noticed my neck pain had decreased and by the 5th day I was stunned to realize my pain had completely disappeared. It stayed away for 12 months and during that time I also had a dramatic increase in range of motion and a drastic reduction in headaches. I was thrilled!
At about 12 months, almost exactly, the pillow started to lose some firmness. I started to notice a very slow increase in neck pain. Now at about month 16 I've started to think about trying the rolled up towel again. That tells me its time to buy another pillow.
Prior to this pillow I used the same $20 pillow for 15 yrs, so I'm not crazy about the idea of spending $75/yr on a pillow. However, its certainly cheaper than chiropractor visits so I can't complain too much.
What I am going to do is try a different pillow (the Therapeutica Neck Pillow) that looks like its a bit more durable, link below. Its about the same price so there's no great risk in trying this. I'll update this review based on my experience with the below pillow to share my opinion as to which one I think is better.
My Two Cents
Every pillow has a shelf life. As with any other fiber neck pillow, the Arc4life Cervical traction Neck pillow is going to break down. If this pillow had MORE Stuffing in it, and was more dense, then definitely the pillow would last longer. That being said, with greater stuffing the pillow is going to be more firm, and thus less comfortable. Having a firm pillow can hinder ones ability to sleep and also to aid with military neck, herniated disc, and bulging disc in the neck. The pillow does come in a more firm level of support- but you have to buy that here: http://www.neckpainreliefkit.com/ExtraFIRMTractionPillow (it is a custom order, 25% more firm than the standard cltraction pillow). Firm pillows do not work for everyone, especially if you have ongoing neck pain and sensitivity in neck.
The therapeutica pillow is completely different- it will feel completely different than the arc4life cervical traction pillow as it is composed foam and the shape is completely different. The arc4life cltraction provides neck traction specifically geared for a patient with military neck or other neck conditions (such as herniated disc, bulging disc or arthritis in the c spine). Also check the size to make sure you get the right "Fit". For someone with a military neck, the arc4life cervical traction neck pillow puts your neck into proper alignment and gives your neck a gentle stretch at the same time. It works especially well with a traction protocol, neck exercises and chiropractic adjustments.
Additional Reading Resources
Solves my neck pain, is comfortable but loses shape/firmness at 12 months
I've been diagnosed with Military Neck and have been sleeping with a rolled up towel for a pillow to treat this as well as address the pain. I bought this pillow July 28, 2011 and have used it every night since then. Every night I had neck pain with any pillow, or rolled up towel, so when I first used this and had neck pain, it wasn't a concern to me.
Pros - Works great! Looks like a regular pillow
Cons - cost, durability
Starting with the morning after the 2nd night, I noticed my neck pain had decreased and by the 5th day I was stunned to realize my pain had completely disappeared. It stayed away for 12 months and during that time I also had a dramatic increase in range of motion and a drastic reduction in headaches. I was thrilled!
At about 12 months, almost exactly, the pillow started to lose some firmness. I started to notice a very slow increase in neck pain. Now at about month 16 I've started to think about trying the rolled up towel again. That tells me its time to buy another pillow.
Prior to this pillow I used the same $20 pillow for 15 yrs, so I'm not crazy about the idea of spending $75/yr on a pillow. However, its certainly cheaper than chiropractor visits so I can't complain too much.
What I am going to do is try a different pillow (the Therapeutica Neck Pillow) that looks like its a bit more durable, link below. Its about the same price so there's no great risk in trying this. I'll update this review based on my experience with the below pillow to share my opinion as to which one I think is better.
My Two Cents
Every pillow has a shelf life. As with any other fiber neck pillow, the Arc4life Cervical traction Neck pillow is going to break down. If this pillow had MORE Stuffing in it, and was more dense, then definitely the pillow would last longer. That being said, with greater stuffing the pillow is going to be more firm, and thus less comfortable. Having a firm pillow can hinder ones ability to sleep and also to aid with military neck, herniated disc, and bulging disc in the neck. The pillow does come in a more firm level of support- but you have to buy that here: http://www.neckpainreliefkit.com/ExtraFIRMTractionPillow (it is a custom order, 25% more firm than the standard cltraction pillow). Firm pillows do not work for everyone, especially if you have ongoing neck pain and sensitivity in neck.
The therapeutica pillow is completely different- it will feel completely different than the arc4life cervical traction pillow as it is composed foam and the shape is completely different. The arc4life cltraction provides neck traction specifically geared for a patient with military neck or other neck conditions (such as herniated disc, bulging disc or arthritis in the c spine). Also check the size to make sure you get the right "Fit". For someone with a military neck, the arc4life cervical traction neck pillow puts your neck into proper alignment and gives your neck a gentle stretch at the same time. It works especially well with a traction protocol, neck exercises and chiropractic adjustments.
Additional Reading Resources
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