Chronic neck pain is an extremely common issue that affects a lot of people. In fact, at least two-thirds of all people suffer from neck pain at some point in their lives. As is true for most things, it’s far better to prevent neck pain than to find neck pain treatment later.
Are you wondering “how to stop my neck pain?” Well, the first thing you have to do is find possible neck pain causes and identify what’s causing your neck pain. Once you’ve identified the root cause of neck pain, you can start addressing it.
In this article, we will help you identify what’s causing your neck pain, we’ll offer remedies for neck pain while sleeping, and we’ll finally give you a review of the best neck pain sleeping pillow in 2021.
Why does the Back of my Neck Always Hurt?
Your neck is made of vertebrae with cervical discs in between the bones to absorb shock. Your head rests on your neck through a complex network of muscles, ligaments, bones, and discs. If there’s immense strain or injury on any of these components, you suffer from neck pain.
Neck pain can occur for several reasons such as injuries, heart attack, meningitis, osteoporosis, and other medical conditions. However, if you largely experience neck pain while sleeping or after sleeping, then the source of neck pain is probably poor posture.
When you sleep, your neck and spine should be in perfect alignment. Your neck should be in line with your back and your hips. If your neck is too high or too low, it can place extreme stress on your neck muscles or your spine, thus leading to neck and shoulder pain.
Remedies for Neck Pain While Sleeping
The best remedy to neck pain while sleeping is to change your sleeping position or use the correct bedding and neck support pillow. If you want to relieve neck pain, you should try the following sleeping positions:
- Sleep on your side with your knees pulled close to your chest. This is known as the fetal position and it’s perfect for neck and back pain because it elongates your spinal column, maximizing the distance between your vertebrae. This, in turn, minimizes the risk of disc herniation, which is one of the leading causes of chronic neck pain.
- Sleep on your back with a medium or high loft pillow that properly supports your neck.
- Use cervical pillows, i.e., contour pillows with higher rounded sides. You can rest your neck on the rounded contours for optimal neck support.
- Avoid sleeping on your stomach because this position turns your neck in an awkward angle and it prevents spinal alignment, which can lead to neck and shoulder pain.
Best Neck Pain Pillow — Top Picks 2021
Now that you understand which sleeping positions are ideal for you, please continue reading for an overview of the best cervical pillows and neck support pillows of 2021.
Contour Memory Foam Pillow By Elite Rest — Best Cervical Pillow
Contour Memory Foam Pillow By Elite Rest is the best cervical pillow for side sleepers and back sleepers. This is a 12-inch wide pillow with a contoured ergonomic design that’s 4” high on the sides and 2.75” high in the middle. The contoured design is ideal for neck and shoulder pain. When you sleep on your side, you can rest your neck on the elevated contour so it closes the gap between the mattress and your head. When you sleep on your back, you can rest your neck on the contour while nestling your head in the crater. This position facilitates perfect spinal alignment.
In addition to the cervical ergonomic design, this pillow is made of memory foam. This material conforms to the shape of your neck and head, thus adjusting itself to ensure you always have neck and shoulder support. Furthermore, this neck pillow also comes with a 100% cotton cover that’s breathable and removable. The cotton cover facilitates air circulation and keeps you cool throughout the night.
Core Products Tri-Core Pillow — Best Pillow for Neck Pain
Core Products Tri-Core Pillow is yet another one of the best cervical pillows for neck pain. This cervical pillow doesn’t just have two elevated corners but rather three elevated contours shaped like a trapezoid. As such, this pillow has a built-in neck roll on which you can rest your neck while cradling your head in the valley in between the contoured sides. Not only is this ideal for neck support, but it also prevents your head from moving around too much, which helps alleviate existing neck pain.
This neck pillow is made of fiber springs that are compressed to offer great comfort and durability. The blended cotton cover is also extremely breathable and soft, facilitating air circulation and keeping you cool at night. This pillow has been designed such that it’s ideal for all types of sleeping positions.
Mediflow Fiber — Best Water Pillow for Neck Pain
Mediflow Fiber is the world’s best water pillow. In recent years, Waterbase technology has carved a niche for itself as a neck pain pillow that offers great therapeutic and orthopedic support. The best part about a water pillow is that you can adjust the loft height and the firmness level by simply adding or removing as much water as you need.
Depending on the amount of water in the pillow, you can use it as a side sleeper pillow or for any other sleeping positions as well. It comes with a 200-thread count cotton cover that’s extremely breathable and cool. All things considered, Mediflow Fiber is the best water pillow for neck pain for all sleeping positions.
