It is the “Roll” that makes it a “Neck Pillow”. A neck pillow is just a normal pillow that gives your neck the necessary support. Some other common names are chiropractic pillow, cervical pillow, and orthopedic pillow. It is often called a chiropractic pillow because chiropractors deal with spinal alignment. It is called a cervical pillow because it supports the neck or cervical spine. Orthopedists deal with the spine and other bones, hence the name “orthopedic pillow.”
The most important aspect of any neck pillow is the “neck roll”, maintaining your alignment while on your back and side. When on its side, it keeps the spine level. When you’re on your back, it helps to re-curve your neck.
That said, your pillow can still look like a “pillow”. I say this because I’ve seen some pillows that look really funky…
But, the most important thing is that it does its job and is comfortable. For most, this also means that you sleep well. Many also want to see their posture improve.
Your posture will improve as you align your spine. When we do this, a common byproduct is symptom relief. As we improve our posture (in other words, align our spine), we take the pressure off our nerves and all sorts of good things happen.
One of the most common postural misalignments is forward movement of the head. This is when the head protrudes forward. If you’re looking at someone from the side, the ear lines up with the front of the shoulder. If your shoulders are significantly turned forward, adjust them.
Now often when the head is forward, the normal “C” curve tends to decrease. In fact, some develop a military neck (or straight neck).
So what can be done to fix this problem? First of all, you can see a chiropractic doctor. He can send you or take a lateral x-ray. This will show you the curve; they can also adjust, give you exercises, and do neck traction. They may also recommend a neck pillow.
This is something I would definitely do, since you are correcting your spinal alignment while you sleep. You can also do traction at home, as well as stretches and exercises. A couple of good exercises can be retractions and extensions of the head.
Lastly, you can lie on a neck roll (or your neck pillow) periodically throughout the day to straighten it out. I have a video on YouTube where I demonstrate the use of a neck roll.
Best of luck, email us if you have any questions.