November 2021 - by Ross Gemmell

To skip to the video, scroll to the bottom of this post!

As an Osteopath, I get asked this question A LOT. The truth is, it depends!

There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question unfortunately as there are several variables to consider:

• The width of your Shoulders
• The width of your Head
• The width of your Neck
• Your weight
• Your Neck mobility
• Your Shoulder mobility
• Your Thoracic Spine mobility
• The distance from your Ear to your Shoulder

With there being so many variables there is no wonder why some people swear by certain Orthopaedic pillows whereas you feel like you had wasted your money. We are all different!

After struggling with Neck pain a few years ago I began testing things at home with my pillows myself. Following some trial and error I finally came up with a method I would be happy to share with my patients. Now this will definitely not work for everybody. However, over the years of me prescribing this to patients I have only ever had a handful of patients turn round to me and say it did not agree with their neck. In light of this, I feel it is worth sharing. Especially since it is free as you use your own pillows! Check out the video I created on this below.

The most important thing to take away from this is to ensure that your neck is supported - whether it be from rolling the pillow up or just lifting it up slightly into your neck. If you're curious as to why there isn't an option for laying on your front in the video, it is because it is really not good for your neck and I do not recommend laying on your front!

Allow the pillows to stagger and bring that top pillow up to meet the rolled up lip - this helps to avoid any side bending in the neck.

The height of the pillows, or how many you use is completely dependent on your head, neck and shoulder width as well as your mobility as mentioned above. Then key thing is to ensure your spine stays horizontal when in a side lying position. If you have a partner, ask them to look at you from behind to see if your spine appears horizontal.

Make sure you have a play around with combinations of thick and thin pillows - you may prefer 2 x thin pillows or maybe 2 x thick pillows!

We hope this advice is of use to you like it has been many of our patients. Of course, it may not be for everyone but it is always worth a try.