Is Your Pillow Hurting Your Neck?

Over the last week, I’ve noticed a lot of people complaining of neck pain, myself included, sometimes all it takes is for you to wake up. You go to get out of bed and feel that unmistakable twinge of pain shoot down your neck as you realise you can’t look to your left or your right. At that point you realise that your next few days are ruined. You start to wonder is your pillow hurting your neck? Or could it be that your neck is hurting your pillow?

Last week we met a new client who had 30 pillows at home. He had been testing so many without a change in his neck. He thought he would give remedial massage a try.

As a massage therapist, we can definitely help release muscles in the neck that tighten in the course of our day. Whether it be working at a computer or desk, looking down at smartphones or picking up the kids. We are often focused on the external activities to change but we also need to look at the way our bodies have reacted and ways we can improve our bodies before buying 30 pillows.

When you are searching for a pillow, here are some tips to help your neck along the way. Adjust your pillow to support your head, according to how you sleep:

Side Sleepers – you will typically need a thicker pillow, or even to fold a thinner pillow over. Your head should be in a neutral position, meaning that once you head is on the pillow, it should be positioned in the middle of your shoulders.

Back Sleepers – Generally you will need a thinner pillow, no one pillow works better than any other so the best way to find a pillow for you, is take a photo of you laying down on it, turn it around, it should look like you standing up with good posture, if it doesn’t, find a new pillow!

Stomach Sleepers – If you can avoid sleeping like this, this position applies the most stress to the neck muscles. If you have to sleep like this, you want the thinnest pillow or no pillow at all.

If you are still suffering from neck pain after changing your pillow, consider changes you can make to your body with Remedial Massage. We are here to help you get more out of life and live without pain.

Make a Booking Online or Contact Us with your questions.