Imagine you just woke up from a deep sleep. You get up and try to turn your head and then realise there’s something not right. You can’t move your neck, and when you try to it pinches. Ouch! You thought it was sweet before bed but now it’s worse. What’s happened to cause this?
Waking up with a stiff neck or ‘wry neck’ can be caused by an unsuitable pillow. How do you tell you need a new one? How old is your current one? Have you ever had a pillow fit before? If you’ve woken up a few times like this, it’s a problem. Firstly we can fix your neck fast and well with hands on therapy, but we do need to follow the breadcrumbs to why the problem happened.
We sleep a lot if we’re putting straight numbers down. For most of us it’s about a third of our lives. There’s not a lot we can do once we’re asleep but setting up to have the best sleep possible should be in all our minds. Sleep is the lead domino that kicks every other part of our day into gear. Each of us should have a high-quality foam pillow fitted to our body shape. When fitting the actual pillow itself we want your neck and head to be in a nice, neutral position. The collarbone should also be in a relaxed position, so the shoulder isn’t up towards the ear. Some people prefer a countered shaped pillow, which is different to the standard pillow.
So how do you know you’re getting the right pillow? Best option is to try them in an appointment with us. Our experts will assess the curves and angles of your neck to ensure you’ve got the best pillow for you. Some pillows just ain’t quite right but others fit perfect. The neck and head usually take about a week to mould to your pillow. The best time to try a new pillow is once your neck is completely fine. This will reduce the risk of flaring up your initial injury.
At Physio To Go we won’t rest until we’ve found you the right pillow. Wouldn’t it be nice to wake up first thing and not have to worry about pain?
