It is the
"Roll" that makes it a "Neck Pillow". A neck pillow is
simply a regular pillow that gives your neck the needed support. Some other
common names are a Chiropractic Pillow, Cervical Pillow, and an Orthopedic
Pillow. It is often called Chiropractic pillow because Chiropactors are all
about spinal alignment. It's called a Cervical pillow because it supports your
neck or Cervical spine. Orthopedists are all about the spine and other bones,
hence the name "orthopedic pillow".
The most important
aspect of any neck pillow is the "neck roll", keeping your alignment
while on your back and side. When on your side, it keeps the spine level. When
you are on your back, it helps to put that neck curve back.
That being said -
your pillow can still look like a "pillow". I say this because I've
seen some real funky looking pillows...
But, the most
important thing is that it does its job and is comfortable. For most, this also
means you sleep well. Many also want to see their posture improve.
Your posture will
improve as you align the spine. When we do this, a common byproduct is symptom
relief. As we improve posture (in other words- align the spine), we take
pressure off of nerves, and all sorts of good things happen.
One of the more
common postural misalignments is forward head carriage. This is when the head
juts out forward. If you look at someone from the side, the ear lines up with
the front of the shoulder. If their shoulders are significantly rolled forward,
adjust for that.
Now, often when the
head is forward, the normal "C" curve is often lessened. In fact,
some develop a military neck (or straight neck).
So what can one do
to fix this issue? First, you can see a doctor of Chiropractic. The can send
you for or take a lateral X-ray. This will show you the curve; they may also
adjust, give you exercises, and do neck traction. They may also recommend you a
neck pillow.
This is something I
would definitely do, as you are correcting spinal alignment while you sleep.
You can also do home traction as well as stretches and exercises. A couple good
exercises might be head retractions and head extensions.
Lastly, you can lay
on a neck roll (or your neck pillow) periodically during the day, for
alignment.
