Hi,
I've been trying to figure out good pillow options, and I think I blew it. So, I'm trying to figure out if my neck and shoulder being really wrenched is likely due to a recent round of gardening, or to the pillow.
I first tried doubling up the pillow with a down pillow that's on the thinner side, but wasn't sure if it had enough thickness. I have a tempurpedic pillow with the misguided cervical bulge, but it always seems to flatten easily so there's not really a bulge, just a flat thing under me, so I thought maybe folding that in two and putting it under my neck on my side would work. I think I did that for one or two nights. At some point afterward I started to feel terrible - all contorted on my right side.
Do you think the tempurpedic pillow, in spite of its squishiness, is just too thick? (And, should ditch it?) Or, maybe is it hauling wet compost? (Bad deal in a week in which my "health" "insurance" doesn't want me to see the PT...)
Thanks!
3 years 9 months ago
12/15/2010 - 7:51am
Hmmm, these things can always be tricky. What caused your pain could be a number of things. Regardless, a pillow for Side Stretchlying wants to have enough thickness so your head feels like an extension of the rest of your spine, i.e. the top of your head does not dange downward nor are you tilted upward. We like to use a buckwheat hull pillow for structure and then something softer on top (perhaps down but not necessarily). It is also recommended that you really fill in the space between the bed and your neck and head. You don't want to let the neck feel unsupported. Pulling the pillow forward and puffing it up under the neck can be helpful. Just make sure it is low enough in front of your face so you can breathe with the nose turned slightly down into the pillow.
Good Luck!
-Charlene Hannibal
Gokhale Method Teacher, Palo Alto/San Francisco