Why Playing Gel Memory Foam Pillow Is Helping Your Neck Pain

If you often wake up in the morning with neck pain, constantly changing pillows is probably not helping and may even be exacerbating the problem.

 
Waking up with serious neck pain is definitely not the way anyone wants to start their day. When it happens frequently, we often troubleshoot the issue on our own, alternating between the firm, soft and in-between pillows for relief. The problem is that neck pain can be very complex, both in cause and treatment, so what works for you one night might totally backfire the next.

"If this is the case, you should probably start exploring new pillows and possibly mattress options," Dr. Robert Koser, a chiropractic physician at Laser Spine Institute, says in an email interview. "If you find the issues are more with the neck, then it very well may only be the pillow you need to switch out. However, if you're finding yourself waking up with neck and back issues, it might be time to change out both."
 

Gel Memory Foam Pillow Options

If you love your pillow or can't afford a pricier model, Sridhara suggests a Gel Memory Foam Pillow where the patient uses a towel roll placed in the front end of the pillowcase to support the curvature of the spine between the head and trunk. "One reason I ask the patients to use the towel roll is that each person's curvature is different and may need a different height. One will have different thickness towels at home and they can experiment to get the best height for comfort," he explains, noting that a pillow manufactured with curvature is a fixed height, so the support cannot be varied if necessary.

Hayden specifically counsels patients to become side-lying sleepers, a position that is best served with two pillows. "The one under the head should be just the right height to keep the head level with the center of the body while lying on either side. It should be firm so that the head does not sag during the night, which would cause stress points in the neck, resulting in neck pain or headache the next day," he says. "The other pillow is a body pillow, one of those long ones that you can snuggle against while lying on your side. The upper arm and upper knee should be supported by the body Gel Memory Foam Pillow to keep the rest of your spine aligned while you are sleeping. This prevents a torquing effect on spinal joints while you rest."