What to do if your neck hurts when sleeping with a cervical pillow

A cervical pillow is a pillow that is beneficial to the recovery of the cervical spine. It is relatively harder than ordinary pillows. The difference from ordinary pillows is that it is placed under the neck instead of the head when used. The cervical pillow is used to correct the cervical vertebra. Many people are not used to using the cervical pillow and will have neck pain at the beginning, so the choice of the cervical pillow is more important. So how to choose a cervical pillow?

Pillow selection

The wrong pillow for the cervical spine may cause cervical spondylosis in sleep

Incorrect sitting posture, looking down at mobile phone, occupational work (such as working with the head down for a long time), lack of exercise... These factors that cause cervical spondylosis are widely known. However, there is another important factor that is easily overlooked, that is sleep. "Many people experience neck and back pain, limb numbness and other discomforts when they get up in the morning, showing symptoms of 'stiff neck'. People usually think that this is caused by a bad sleeping posture or by the cold wind. In fact, this may be caused by an inappropriate pillow. Usually we say that if you bow your head for more than 1 hour, the cervical spine will be easily affected. An adult spends about 1/4 to 1/3 of his time sleeping (on the pillow) every day. When a person is asleep, he basically maintains a posture in each sleep cycle of 90-120 minutes. If the pillow is used incorrectly for a long time, it will cause changes in the curvature of the cervical spine, leading to chronic strain such as cervical instability, joint dislocation, ligament injury, etc., which will develop into cervical spondylosis over time.

The pillow is too high, which means you have to keep your head down all night.

When choosing a pillow, many people base their selection on softness and comfort. This is also related to personal habits, but this habit may not be correct. Li Taoping said that the human spine is curved in an S shape when viewed from the side, and a "C" at the neck position. If there is no suitable support and the neck is left suspended in the air or bent sideways or in a similar bowing position for a long time, it can easily cause intervertebral disc bulging.

As the saying goes, "a pillow with a high pillow brings peace of mind." In fact, the choice of pillow should not be too high or too low. If the pillow is too high, you will keep your head down all night, which can easily cause cervical hyperextension, excessive pressure on the neck, and insufficient blood supply to the head and neck. It can also easily cause airway obstruction, leading to hypoxia and ischemia, and symptoms such as headache, dizziness, tinnitus, and insomnia. Some people with cervical spondylosis believe that a lower pillow or even no pillow is helpful in alleviating the disease. In fact, a pillow that is too low will cause the cervical spine to straighten, which can also easily cause unbalanced blood supply. In addition, the muscles are relaxed when sleeping, and most of the force on the neck is applied to the cervical spine, which can easily cause intervertebral disc bulging. It can be seen from this that whether you are a healthy person or someone with cervical spondylosis, you must pay attention to maintaining the physiological position of the cervical lordosis to prevent or accelerate the degeneration of the cervical spine.

The ideal pillow core that has a protective effect on cervical spondylosis is a heat-compressed sponge pillow core. Generally, a Kangjin Shule pillow made of a heat-compressed sponge pillow core is chosen, because the shape of the pillow must first conform to the normal physiological curve of the human body, so that whether you are sleeping on your back or side, the cervical spine and respiratory tract can restore the normal physiological curve. At the same time, the supporting force and hardness are more stable than the slow-rebound memory pillow core because of the use of special sponge heat-compressed under high temperature. It conforms to the principles of ergonomics, and combined with the magnetic therapy effect formed by neodymium iron boron magnetic ore, it is more conducive to improving cervical discomfort, effectively promoting blood circulation, eliminating neck fatigue and soreness, and reducing unnecessary turning over during sleep.

There are many things to know when choosing a pillow

To choose the right pillow, you must first know how to use it correctly. Although it is called a "pillow", the correct term is actually "neck pillow". It should be the neck that is placed between the back of the head and the shoulders, which supports the neck when you are sleeping soundly. When lying on your back, the highest point of the pillow should be in the middle of the back of the neck to support the cervical curve and maintain the physiological curvature of the neck. The lowest point of the pillow is the back of the head; when lying on your side, the pillow supports the side of your neck. The principle is that the spine should be in a straight line when viewed from the front and in a normal S shape (in line with the physiological curve) when viewed from the side. [3]

Material

Currently, pillows are filled with a variety of materials, including chemical fiber, latex, down, buckwheat husk... Different materials have different rebound times, and the best rebound time is 3-5 seconds. Pillows have a service life, ranging from half a year to three years. After long-term use, they will suffer from problems such as loss of elasticity, aging, and mites. Among them, synthetic fiber pillows are the most common, but they are not very breathable. Especially after several months of use, they are easily compacted and deformed. The more you sleep on them, the flatter they become and they are no longer elastic, so they need to be replaced in time. Down pillows are relatively soft and very comfortable to sleep on, but it is difficult to maintain a certain height. It is recommended to use them with a harder pillow. [4]

Maintenance Methods

Most common pillows on the market are filled with ordinary sponge, memory foam, cotton, etc. This type of pillow will easily deform after being used for a long time, and its elasticity will also decrease, and it cannot support the normal physiological curvature of the human body. You can try folding the pillow in half and then letting go. If the pillow bounces back to its original shape immediately and there are no obvious creases on the pillow core, it means that it is in good condition; if it bounces back slowly or easily leaves creases, it means that the elasticity has deteriorated and it may not even provide enough support for the head and neck, which will affect sleep and bone health and cause insomnia, stiff neck, cervical spondylosis, etc.

How often should you change your pillow?

1. The pillow with stable elasticity is not easy to deform, has good air permeability, and has a smooth surface. Insects cannot attach and survive. It is suitable for people with allergies and has a service life of 3-5 years.

2. The pleasant tea aroma can make people relax and the service life is about 1 year to 1.5 years.

3. It is an animal fiber, fluffy and breathable, but not suitable for people with allergies or who sweat easily. Down will form pills when it comes into contact with water. The general service life is 2-3 years.

4. It is made of cheap artificial fiber, but it is easy to clump under long-term heavy pressure. It is recommended to disinfect it in the sun once a month and replace it every three months or when the pillow becomes hard.

Experts remind that when buying pillows, you can also use this method to check, and also pay attention to the density of the pillow core. The higher the density, the less likely it is to deform, and the less likely the head will sink into it when you rest your head on it. It can provide sufficient support for the head and make the head feel more comfortable. [5]