Neck problems? Neck pain?
The curse with the pillows.
People, especially women, often visit us in our shop and ask us: “Do you also have pillows for neck tension? I've tried so many pillows and none really helped. Each one costs over a hundred francs again. What can I do about these neck problems?"
Regardless of whether people have neck tension, neck problems, neck pain or even complaints such as whiplash, herniated discs or stiffened cervical vertebrae, they all often have trouble getting up at night or in the morning. This is usually annoying for those affected and even increases to headaches or migraines. If you've tried a few pillows and your neck pain isn't getting any better, then you may be one of those people whose problems aren't caused by the pillow. And what if it wasn't the pillow at all?
What if your shoulder had too much pressure when lying on your side? Because between your shoulders and the waist you have between 8-12 cm difference, per side! Use your fist to press 10 cm into the shoulder zone of your mattress. And? You notice that this is almost impossible or only with a lot of pressure. This pressure is transmitted through the bony connections from the shoulder joint, via the collarbone, towards the cervical spine. The neck muscles are now forced to compensate for the resulting incorrect posture, sometimes for up to an hour at a time due to the motionless deep sleep phases. As you now know, this prolonged tension sometimes gives rise to pain. This means that when lying on your side, your bed system must allow your shoulders to be gently embedded and you do not feel it necessary to pull them forwards or backwards.
Alternatively, there would be the supine position. But what if this can also have a negative effect on the neck? Because when you lie stretched out on your back, your muscles build up quite a bit of tension. A stretch is logically not relaxed. Check it out: straighten your arm and while your arm is straight, relax your biceps (upper arm muscle). And? You see, it's not possible because the arm is straight. You need to bend your arm slightly to allow the muscle to relax. Stretched muscles in the supine position cannot really relax. The prone position is definitely not a solution either. Twisting your head so you can breathe twists your cervical spine and puts a lot of strain on your muscles.
Look, if something doesn't help after several attempts, for example the many pillows, then you want to try a completely new way, okay? Otherwise you will never get a better result.
Tip: Make sure you are lying on your side
A pillow is obviously not the answer. Get me right: a supportive and perfectly fitting pillow is important. But it is usually not the cause of neck problems in bed. You should make sure that your shoulder can sink in really gently. If possible, remove or turn all slats in the shoulder area to about 30 cm. So that a real hole is created. If the mattress is flexible enough, it will help you to lie on your side more relaxed because your shoulders have room.
Illustrations: G. Koehler
