Whether it’s an outpatient or a ward, or a friend or relative, people often ask what kind of pillow is suitable for cervical spondylosis patients? How about cervical pillows? How about an inflatable pillow? Can cervical pillows treat cervical spondylosis? The right pillow for the prevention of cervical spondylosis is still very important. Many people have had the experience of going to an unfamiliar place such as a hotel and waking up to sleep on the pillow, which is largely due to the pillow is not suitable for the cause. So, choose a suitable pillow for their own cervical spondylosis patients and cervical spondylosis at-risk groups (such as teachers, white-collar workers, drivers, medical workers, etc.) are very important.
From a medical point of view, there are four physiological curvature of the human spine, respectively, the cervical spine anterior curve, thoracic spine posterior curve, lumbar spine anterior curve and sacral spine posterior curve. The anterior cervical physiological curve is very important to increase the elasticity of the cervical spine, maintain the normal force on the cervical discs and joints, and play a certain role in cushioning oscillations. We see that many patients with cervical spondylosis begin with a reduction or loss of the anterior cervical physiological curve in the early stages. So keep the cervical spine anterior curvature is one of the important factors to reduce the occurrence of cervical spondylosis, so the first point of choosing a pillow is to be able to maintain the normal physiological curvature of the cervical spine.
First of all, the choice of pillow height is crucial. The height of the pillow is related to the sleeping position, you can choose according to your usual supine sleeping position or side sleeping position. Side sleep requires a high pillow with hard support, sleep on your back when you need a thin pillow; sleep on your back when the height of the pillow and fist height is appropriate, side sleep is equal to the width of one shoulder, of course, according to the physiological characteristics of each person to make the appropriate adjustments. When the height of the pillow is too high, can not maintain the normal forward curvature of the cervical spine, will increase the burden on the cervical spine, increase back muscle tension, shoulder pain, headache, dizziness, tinnitus and insomnia and other brain neurasthenia, aggravating the symptoms of cervical spondylosis; and when the height of the pillow is too low, there will be neck and shoulder pain, but also make the head congestion, causing eyelid and facial swelling, easy to open mouth breathing, snoring situation.
Second, the choice of pillow hardness is also an important factor. Soft and hard pillow is the right choice. The deliberate pursuit of support and choose too hard pillow, easy to lead to the head and the pillow contact area is too little, the pressure increases, so that the head muscle tension, seriously affect the relaxation of the whole body muscles; and the pursuit of comfortable soft and choose too soft pillow, it is difficult to maintain the height of the pillow, easy because too soft lead to the head and the pillow contact area is too large, resulting in compression, affect the blood circulation leads to the neck is posterior extension, the neck excessive The excessive pulling of the neck will cause tension in the throat muscles, which will easily aggravate snoring. It is necessary to choose a pillow that can seamlessly fit the curvature of the head and neck, so as to provide the head and neck with suitable support and relax the effect of the neck.
The third important factor is the choice of pillow material. Currently commonly used pillow materials include buckwheat leather, memory foam, latex, inflatable cotton and so on, varying in softness and hardness, for different people with different cervical spine physiological curvature, as well as different sleep habits will have different advantages and disadvantages, it is difficult to generalize, but choose a suitable material pillow is very important, in principle, to wake up after sleep does not feel stiff, sore neck is appropriate, if there is often wake up neck pain, fatigue or frequent pillow. Fatigue or frequent pillow, it means that your pillow material is not suitable.
Finally, the current market for common pillows to give recommendations, perhaps not entirely accurate, but I hope to be able to make reference to your choice.
Buckwheat leather pillow recommended index: ★★★★★
Advantages: the material is moderately soft and hard, strong support for the head and neck; core material safety, environmental protection, pollution-free; hypoallergenic, breathable; can lower the temperature of the head, so that people feel comfortable; buckwheat hull comes with a fragrant scent, conducive to fast sleep and so on.
Disadvantages: not easy to clean; pillow shape can not be maintained according to the sleeping position; elasticity is basically not.
Latex pillow recommended index: ★★★★
Advantages: the material is pure natural, no adverse effects on the human body; strong elasticity, play a cushioning pressure role; can effectively reduce snoring; promote sleep, etc..
Disadvantages: the price is inflated, the quality varies.
Tips: When choosing a latex pillow need to pay attention to the current market on the call of latex pillow is somewhat confusing, some synthetic foam, sponge pillow is also called latex pillow, the purchase should ask clear.
Slow rebound memory pillow recommended index: ★★★★★
Advantages: feel soft; 2-12 seconds slow rebound, absorbing pressure and impact; memory deformation, claiming that the design can meet the curve of the neck and shoulders.
Disadvantages: due to the need for memory rebound function, the material is soft, many people react to use after feeling hard enough, the effect is general.
Tips: choose memory pillow do not overly believe in the propaganda of the business, their own applicable feeling is very important.
Cervical small round pillow recommended index: ★★
Advantages: placed below the cervical spine, can increase the cervical spine curvature, play a certain role in backward exercise.
Disadvantages: small contact area with the head and neck, long time application is easy to fatigue, while easily lead to excessive cervical back.
Tips: this small round pillow can be used as a short cervical back exercise aids, if a long time to sleep on the pillow, you need to add a thin pillow on the head.
Inflatable cotton pillow recommended index: ★
Advantages: good breathability
Disadvantages: too soft, the cervical spine curvature maintenance role is poor
Tips: This is the pillow that most hotels use, for patients with cervical spondylosis try to pillow such a pillow, it is best to bring your own pillow to the hotel.
We need to correctly understand the role of the pillow in the prevention and treatment of cervical spondylosis, the choice of pillow does not necessarily have too much effect on the treatment of cervical spondylosis, so patients with cervical spondylosis do not hope that the choice of a pillow will cure cervical spondylosis, but its role in the prevention and treatment of cervical spondylosis is essential. Cervical spondylosis patients or people at risk should develop good habits, including the choice of a suitable pillow. I hope you can sleep comfortably and stay away from cervical spondylosis.