How Does a Tens Unit Work on Muscle Spasm- Pain comes from electroechemical impulses relaying the pain message. A TENS unit interrupts this pathway. T.E.N.S stands for Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation. It is often used to treat low back pain and neck pain. Tens units use a low voltage electrical current to induce pain relief. Continue Reading Article
Neck Exercises- Learn effective neck stretches and strengthening exercises for the cervical spine
End Neck Pain by Improving Posture- How Proper Posture Improves Your Spine Relieving Nerve Pressure- How does posture have anything to do with neck pain?--Neck pain comes from pressure on the nerves. How does this happen?--Usually pressure from a misaligned neck spine. When your spine is misaligned (some call that subluxated) it does not move like it should and in turn creates inflammation in that area. Either out-of-alignment spinal vertebrae (spinal bones) put direst pressure on nerves or the inflammation, or built up degeneration causes the pressure. Continue Reading Article
How to Reduce the Chances of Getting A Stiff Neck- A Stiff Neck.... Horrible especially when you wake up in the morning and realize that it is going to be one painful day. You are stiff, your neck hurts, you cannot turn your head, even brushing your teeth hurts. We get questions about how to treat a stiff neck all the time. Continue Reading Article
How To Avoid Neck Pain While Doing Abs- If you do your Abdominal crunches correctly with proper form, there is no reason to suffer from neck pain or sore neck. One of the biggest mistakes that people make is that involve there neck muscles while doing these exercises- that is a NO-NO. Bringing your head and neck forward puts unnecessary pressure on the neck and it is not healthy. So when you do your abdominal crunch look at the ceiling.Continue Reading Article
I often times get telephone calls and emails from customers who are getting ready for a surgery. Usually it's some type of neck surgery like a laminectomy or a cervical fusion. After the surgery, they need to be sleeping on their backs for a certain amount of time, and for this they need a back sleeping neck pillow. They also need a pillow that will keep them in that position.
Enter the Cosmed Recovery Neck Pillow - the name of the pillow says a lot. It is designed for patients post recovery after cosmetic and medical procedures. That's right, a pillow that allows you to recover face up after any type of surgery, be it cosmetic, facial, dental etc.
Check out the design of this neck pillow. It can be used in two directions. It has special soft side pillows that are very comfortable and hold you in position. Most importantly, this pillow comes with a hypoallergenic dust cover that can be washed. It's easy to put on the pillow and take off. Simply sleep on your back with this pillow comfortably and in position, allowing healing to take place. Just what your Dr. Ordered.
Hi, I will very soon be having ACDF surgery on the discs C3-C4 and C4-C5, as I have very severe spinal spondylitis. I am looking for a suitable pillow, and wondered if you could recommend one for me? I have looked at the Arc4 Life Cervical Linear Traction Neck Pillow Large, on your website and wondered if this would help me? I would be very grateful for any help and advice you could give me.
Many Thanks, kind regards Popsie
Dear Popsie,
Thank you for your email. After your fusion surgery, you will not be able to extend your neck back, so you will not be able to use the "Traction V " part of the Arc4life pillow. You will be able to use the other side though (the support side).
(For my readers, an ACDF surgery stands for "Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion". This surgery functions to remove a herniated or degenerative disc in the neck. A surgical cut is made in the front throat area to reach the front of the spine. Once there, the disc is removed and a graft is inserted to fuse together the bones above and below the disc the surgeon is working on. Usually, patients go home the same day and the recovery time takes 4 weeks. Often times this surgery is recommended for patients with pinched nerves, stenosis, bulging disc etc.)
A better pillow to recommend would be the Arc4life Linear Gravity Neck Pillow which has two neck rolls on it: one smaller and firmer, the other broader and softer.
Recently I was speaking with a reader of one of my blog posts. We were discussing pillows for better sleep. She mentioned to me that she is getting numbness in her arm as she sleeps. She said she does not have this pain during the day, only at night. She noted that she has to move around to get rid of the numbness. She asked me for any simple changes that she could make because this was beginning to bother her and affect her during the day because her sleep was being interrupted.
Often, if the spine flattens out you get pressure on nerves. This pressure can give you numbness, pain, even weakness. My guess is that her pillow is losing support. With any pillow, there is usually a lifespan. This same thing often even happens to me. If I start to get numbness and tingling into an arm, I know it's time for a new pillow.
There are many people I know who use a feather pillow. Turning, flipping to the other side, fluffing your pillow, only is a short term solution. I think you get used to things but you don't want to get used to a flat spine. The neck spine should have a smooth "C" curve, any deviation from that and we will get nerve pressure and problems whether they present themselves immediately or not.
Yes, a pillow should be used to support the Head for Sleeping and Its GOOD for your back and your neck. That is the short answer.
Anatomically speaking, it's ideal for the head and the neck to be using a supportive pillow while sleeping at night. Naturally your cervical spine is not straight when looking at it from the side - instead it has a natural c curve in it and you need to get a cervical support pillow that allows for that c curve. This is called the cervical lordosis. So in my opinion, a contoured neck pillow will help the most with this.
You see the diagram above:
From the Front (Anterior View): Your spine should be straight up and down
From the Side (left lateral View): There is C Curve in the neck "Cervical Curvature"
From the Back (Posterior View): Your spine should be straight up and down
Think of your spine like a kinetic chain too. What is happening at the top of the spine will affect what is happening in the other parts. If you are aligned in the neck area, that will continue onto the mid back and into the lower back.
Check out Arc4life's Linear Gravity Neck Pillow - it will allow you to have the proper c curve while you are sleeping. This particular neck pillow has TWO neck rolls on it for sleeping on your back and side. One neck roll is smaller and firmer, and the other neck pillow is broader and softer. You pick the side that is most comfortable for you to sleep on.
The nice thing about the arc4life linear gravity neck pillow is that it comes in three sizes: Small, Medium and Large. If you are under 5 ft with a petite frame choose the small, Between 5 ft- 5'10/5'11 choose the medium. Anybody over the 6 ft should choose the large pillow. But these are not hard and fast rules either. If for example you are 5 ft, but always use a standard size pillow, choose the medium. Contact Arc4life to help you get the right pillow.
Choosing a neck pillow that is contoured versus a neck pillow that is flat is more ideal and healthier for your neck. You need support for your head and neck when you sleep because naturally we have curves in our spines. Overall healthier for your whole spinal system which ultimately houses the nervous system.
Cervical spondylosis is a term used for arthritis in the neck. It often refers to the degenerative changes going on in the cervical spine. Yes, this is part of the aging process for for some patients after years of trauma or bad posture, this can start early on.
Cervical Spondylosis on an X-ray of the Neck
Degeneration is often seen on a neck x-ray. For example, outgrowths coming from the neck bones called "spurs", misalignment of the bones in the neck, extra bony material that can build up and start to affect the nerves. If these spurs extend out into the canal where nerve roots exit, a radiculopathy can result. This can happen at any level in the neck. This irritation to the nerve root can be the cause of neck pain, shoulder pain, numbness and tingling, shooting pains and weakness in the upper extremity. With degeneration there can also be involvement of the discs. The discs themselves can thin out or degenerate. This again can put pressure on nerves.
So what type of pillow works well for this type of condition? In my experience you need to have a support pillow preferably with neck rolls. A Neck Roll Type of Pillows allows you to have optimal alignment while you are sleeping. It puts your neck into the correct position for for side sleeping and back sleeping. The pillow I am going to recommend specifically is called the arc4life traction v pillow. This pillow doesn't just give you support. It also gently stretches the neck. This is very important. Remember I just spoke about added pressure being placed on nerves for a patient with cervical spondylosis or degeneration? This pillow helps to alleviate that by increasing the space between each vertebrae. If you have a lot of sensitivity in the neck with increase pain or stiffness, use the support roll of the side because it keeps your spine in neutral position. You can use the traction side during the day. Simply lay on your back for 10-15 minutes (set a timer) on the traction v side.
My Personal Reasons As To Why I Like the Arc4life Linear Gravity Pillow
There are many reasons as to why I prefer this pillow over other contoured pillows on the market today. First I like that it is made out of polyester fiber fill. Also it does not have so much stuffing in it that it makes it super firm. There is definitely "give" to the pillow- meaning that it is not rock hard, For me personally I do not like super firm pillows. It causes my neck to ache the next morning. Also I like that I can choose between two neck rolls:one wider, one more narrow. Finally, I move around quite a bit and shuffle between on my back and on my side. This is a great choice for my sleeping purposes. My height is 5 ft 5 inches, and my weight fluctuates between 130-135 lbs, and the medium size works great for me.
Contoured on Purpose
Arc4life's Linear Gravity Neck Pillow is a great cervical orthopedic support neck pillow. It will help you sleep better, more comfortable and wake up feeling refreshed. This contoured neck pillow will give you the support that you need with the two neck rolls that it has. This helps to give your cervical spine the proper cervical support that it needs.
The Many Reasons to consider using a new supportive neck pillow
You may ask yourself, why should i change the pillow I am sleeping on? There are many reasons why you should consider using a supportive neck pillow such as arc4life's cervical linear gravity pillow.
You wake up with stiffness in your neck some mornings
You don't have the proper curve in your neck ( military neck / hypolordosis )
You have forward head carriage aka forward head posture
You suffer from constant neck pain, and headaches
You sleep on your stomach or another awkward position at night
You have degeneration or arthritis in your c- spine
You want to relax your neck muscles
You want to breathe better at night
Your current neck pillow is too flat, too soft, too hard, too foamy, too smelly or just not working !
You want to be able to sleep the whole night through for ONCE !
You recently had some kind of surgery that affected your neck and upper back
You have a job that involves a lot of sitting, which leads to poor posture
You toss and turn all night trying to find the right position
Why is the Shape of the Arc4life Linear Gravity So Special?
Support for your Neck while you are sleeping
This pillow is very different then your regular flat pillow. To sleep comfortably, one needs to have adequate neck support and proper positioning of the head. With Arc4life's linear gravity neck pillow, you have the choice of two neck rolls to choose from. These two neck rolls are key in giving your cervical spine (neck) the proper support that it needs. Pick the side of the pillow that is most comfortable for you. One Side is slightly more wide and more softer for gentle support. The other side is more narrow and slightly firmer. Both are very comfortable.
Understand how the Arc4life Linear Gravity Pillow Works
The Two Rolls on the Neck Pillow Are an Important Feature
Effective Sleeping For Back and Side Sleepers If you Toss and Turn, this Pillow will still support you. Linear Gravity Neck Pillow- Sleep on your Back and Side with this Arc4life Pillow To sleep on your back, choose one side of the pillow, and sleep
Great for Many People, not Just For Neck Pain Sufferers
stiffness
neck sprain/strain
poor posture
forward head posture
arthritis
degeneration in the spine
Effective Sleeping For Back and Side Sleepers
If you Toss and Turn, this Pillow will still support you.
To sleep on your back, choose one side of the pillow, and sleep in the center of the pillow. To sleep on your side, sleep on the wings of the pillows. Both positions are extremely comfortable and will give you restful sleep.
"I need a soft soft pillow - but i still want support in my neck- nothing too firm". This article is about that someone who just wants a gentle supportive neck pillow. A neck pillow with some "give" to it. Not hard like a rock. You would think that there are lots of choices out there for this. But no, this is not the case. Gentler often just means no support or a FLAT - especially when it comes to a fiber neck pillow.
This can mean the senior by the way. I didn't really come out and say that because everyone is so different. Some like a firm pillow, some like a soft one.
But you must know that as you get older there is a greater chance of arthritis building or degeneration building up. If you have suffered from a whiplash injury due to a car accident, you may have had degeneration in your cervical spine for many years. Any type of degenerative changes in the neck can mean more pain and a decreased range of motion.
The Natural Alignment Pillow may fit your needs. First, it's very gentle. This works very well with the more sensitive neck, being softer and a lesser height than most.
Next, it's fairly low (meaning the height or profile is less). This can work very well for someone with, not only a more sensitive neck, but a more arthritic neck too.
Lastly, this may fit someone of smaller stature too. Neck pillows often end up being too high for the smaller framed person.
Recently, a customer emailed us about a pillow purchase they made.
"We have 2 of your pillows. There is nothing on your website that tells you how to clean and care for the pillows. Do you have any information?" - W.M Feb 7, 2016
Dear W.M,
If you have the arc4life traction neck pillow or the arc4life linear gravity pillow, then you need to understand that these pillows are composed of polyester fiber fill. Overtime this polyester fiber fill will break down. If you submerge the pillow in fiber, the fiber particles break down faster.
You can simply spot clean the pillow with a wet washcloth that is just damp, not soaking wet. You can even put a little soap (such as some ivory soap or regular detergent) on the washcloth, then go over the area again with the damp washcloth. We do not recommend that you submerge the pillow in water or put it in the washing machine. We had customers do that - and you can- but we do not recommend that. It breaks down the fiber of the pillow and it will lose support faster. Finally, you can also just put the pillow in the dryer on a low setting, for no more then 5-10 minutes. This will help to refluff the fibers.
Also, hopefully you purchased the dust covers that go with the pillow. Just simply take off the dust cover and put in the washing machine, You can just let the pillow air out in the meantime.
Recently, we received a request for a return of the Stress Ease Cervical Neck Pillow from a customer who used it for one night. Here was the feedback from our customer:
"used couple of hours at first night my neck had bad pain and stiff.. Can t use it." - KJ Feb 2016
Usually it can take a few days to a few weeks to get used to a new pillow. When you first receive the pillow, we do not recommend you use the pillow the entire night. Just start with 5-10 minutes the first night and keep increasing the time. The pillow can cause you some neck soreness and muscle spasms, because you are engaging different neck muscles when you have your head in a different position (using a new neck pillow places your head and neck in a different position than you are used to, especially if the pillow is a contoured neck pillow).
There are many cervical pillows on the market. By-the-way, we also may call them neck pillows, orthopedic pillows, chiropractic pillows, support pillows, and more... Anyhow, listen to this surgeon, don't just take my word for it...
