“PILLOW TALK” – CHOOSING THE RIGHT PILLOW
By Dr. Tony Cassis B.AppSci(CompMed), M.ClinChiro, ICCSP, DACNB
One of the questions I get asked most routinely by patients is “what’s the best pillow for me?”. Many of our chronic neck and/or back pain sufferers have bought and discarded through more pillows than they could possibly sleep on in several lifetimes, futilely trying to find that one ‘perfect’ one that magically relieves their pain. To complicate the picture, we are constantly bombarded with commercials and advertisements from pillow and bedding companies proclaiming that their pillow is the greatest. Some might even have the stamp of approval from the national chiropractic, osteopathic or physiotherapy associations. How can one POSSIBLY decide which pillow is the best, and therefore the one they should buy? It’s enough to drive anyone to distraction, right?
Well, because I do get asked that question so much, and because I was so sick of not knowing the answer, I decided to see what the scientific literature suggested was the best. And what I found was… interesting. There genuinely appears to be a significant LACK of quality, UNBIASED research in the area of ‘pillow science’. The best study that I could find was by a group from South Australia and Queensland, published in 2011 entitled “A randomized, comparative trial: does pillow type alter cervico-thoracic spinal posture when side lying?”. The study compared 4 different pillow types (feather, latex, regular foam and contoured foam) in 95 participants to see if there was any difference in how they affected the curves of the neck and upper back, both initially, after 10 minutes of laying on them. The most important take-home messages from this study were as follows:
- There is no difference in support between a regularly-shaped foam pillow and a contoured one.
- All pillows altered significant in support between when participants first lay on them compared to after having lay on them for 10 minutes, therefore, if you’re going to test out a pillow, test it out for at least 10 minutes (I would recommend at least a couple of nights if possible- many places offer a ‘try before you buy’ or money-back guarantee option.
- Softer pillows (polyester, latex) support your neck in a lower position and firmer pillows (foam) support your neck in a higher position.
- The most important take home message, however, is that there is no one pillow-type that is best.
Ultimately, it appears that pillow support is unique to each individual. When deciding on a pillow, take into account comfort first and foremost, as well as where you need the support. Have a chat to one of our chiropractors to assess your pillow for you to see if it’s supporting your neck in the areas you require, particularly if you suffer from neck and/or upper back pain.