Cervical pillow and headache: an unsuspected relationship
A headache is that more or less sudden pain that affects the temples and the back of the neck with strong pulsations, continuous pain sometimes causing dizziness and nausea. There are more than one types of headache and for each there is a specific cause, whether chronic, contusive or postural.
We will analyze the latter by giving some indications on the most natural causes and solutions possible, relating the cervical pillow and headaches .
Very often one of the main causes of headaches is the wrong posture during the night which creates pressure on the cervical vertebrae for a prolonged time, thus creating cervical pain which can cause not only the stiffening of the base of the neck but also headaches. The cause is the use of an inadequate support.
An unsuitable pillow can in fact cause a series of problems, including:
- Cervicogenic headache : This type of headache originates from the cervical, the upper part of the spine. A pillow that is too high or too low can in fact cause incorrect neck posture during sleep, creating muscle tension and inflammation of the nerves.
- Muscle pain : the same may not adequately support the head and neck, causing excessive contraction of the muscles. This can lead to pain and stiffness in the neck, shoulders and shoulder blades.
- Fatigue : Muscle tension and headaches can cause fatigue and tiredness, making it difficult to concentrate and carry out normal daily activities.
How to choose the right cervical pillow :
The market today offers a very varied range of cushions for all needs. Choosing the right one is essential to prevent and relieve headaches and other ailments. Here are some tips:
- Consider your sleeping position : if you sleep on your stomach, a thin, soft pillow is the best choice but it must also be said that this position doesn't help much. Perhaps in this case sleep education needs to be reviewed a bit. If you sleep on your back or side, a medium-firm pillow is ideal.
- Pillow materials : there are different types of cervical pillows on the market, in memory foam, latex, feather or fibre. We can certainly say that the best material existing today is memory foam due to its ability to adapt and quickly return to its initial position.
- Shape of pillows : The pillow should fill the space between your head and the mattress, keeping your neck in a neutral position. To do this it is preferable to rely on cushions with a double wave shape.
Are there other postural causes besides night rest?
In recent years, after covid19, we have witnessed an explosion in home teleworking, for a while it was thought that this was also a cause of headaches but a study, recently reported in PUB MED , highlights, as in reality , taking a sample of people, with the aim of understanding which type of teleworking is correlated with headaches, it was discovered that there is no strict correlation between the two things, even headphones were used with success negative on the test.
Therefore, from a postural point of view, headaches are certainly linked to cervical inflammation caused in turn by an inadequate and prolonged posture such as during night rest.
In addition to choosing an adequate cervical pillow, following the guidelines known to everyone is always very important:
- Maintain correct posture during the day : avoid spending too much time with your head bent over your phone or in front of your computer.
- Do neck and shoulder stretching exercises : These exercises can help reduce muscle tension and improve flexibility.
- Apply cold or hot compresses to the painful area : cold can help reduce inflammation, while heat can relax muscles.
- Ventilate the place where you are often : good ventilation is certainly a small step towards avoiding headaches from consumed air.
Naturally, as always, we recommend contacting your doctor to analyze the causes of headaches and choose the best solution to reduce or eliminate this annoying disorder.
We at Cipoxpat have discovered, thanks to the feedback from our customers, that even in chronic situations where posture is marginally responsible, our double wave pillow helps to improve the situation. We can also say, after years of producing pillows, that using adequate support even in the absence of complaints is certainly a good way to prevent future pain.
Health in general is very important. Investing in quality products and solutions is something we owe to ourselves, the pillow is no exception which is a support used on average 8 hours a day and in this case the quality becomes directly proportional to the well-being obtained.