Shoulder pain is most common among side sleepers, as the weight of their upper body generally falls onto the shoulder closer to the mattress. Upon experiencing stress for a long time, the muscles become strained because of which inflammation occurs.
Shoulder pain is most common among side sleepers, as the weight of their upper body generally falls onto the shoulder closer to the mattress. Upon experiencing stress for a long time, the muscles become strained because of which inflammation occurs.
However, you can reduce shoulder pain by using the right pillow.
In this article, you’ll learn about pillows that can not only support the head and neck but also reduce pressure from your shoulders.
Pillow for Shoulder Pain
As a side sleeper, you need a pillow that can lift up your head and neck in such a way that it reduces the overall stress from your shoulders.
For this, you need a pillow with substantial height. But you must also look for one that helps to align the neck with the rest of the spine.
So here’s the best pillow for side sleepers with shoulder pain:
Shredded Memory Foam Pillow
A shredded memory foam pillow obviates the need of trying out different pillow sizes.
You can adjust both the loft and firmness of this pillow to suit your requirements.
As the foam isn't a solid block, shredded memory foam pillows can better regulate their internal temprature. So the heat from inside the pillow escapes easily.
How to Adjust the Loft and Firmness of a Shredded Memory Foam Pillow?
You can alter the amount of shredded memory foam present inside the zippered pillowcase. When you reduce the amount of foam, the loft and firmness decrease. When you increase the amount of foam, the loft and firmness increase.
Because of the aforementioned benefits, we deem this one to be the best pillow for shoulder pain.
Pillow for Neck and Shoulder Pain
Let’s now come to the pillow for neck and shoulder pain. Many side sleepers develop both neck and shoulder pain as a result of bad sleeping posture.
The best pillow for neck and shoulder pain is the orthopedic cervical pillow.
Orthopedic Cervical Pillow
With a unique butterfly shape, an orthopedic cervical pillow:
- Provides consistent support to your neck
- Promotes better alignment of the spine
- Firmly support the upper body to reduce pressure from the shoulders
- Facilitates resting of hands besides the face
With a depression in the middle of the pillow and lofted sides, the orthopedic cervical pillow is perfect for both back and side sleepers.
Combination sleepers, who often change their sleeping position throughout the night, can also rely on this pillow for relief from neck and shoulder pain.
Pillow for Shoulder Pain and Night Sweats
Dealing with night sweats along with shoulder pain can be very exasperating. However, with the right pillow, you can reduce both the symptoms of shoulder pain and night sweats.
For relief from both night sweats and shoulder pain, you can try a cooling gel pillow.
Cooling Gel Pillow
Cooling gel pillows generally come with memory foam filling.
While traditional pillows absorb body heat and pass it back to us, cooling gel pillows prevent this from occurring. Cooling gel is a special material that prohibits the foam from passing back the retained body heat.
And some cooling gel pillows can even regulate temperature effectively.
If you’re looking for something customizable, then go for a cooling gel pillow with shredded memory foam.
Pillow for Shoulder Pain During Pregnancy
Pregnancy is a time when a woman’s curves are constantly changing. So it is important to get a pillow that can fit all your needs.
Body Pillow
During pregnancy, women can rely on a body pillow to facilitate their sleep. Body pillows are suitable for all sleeping positions.
It provides stomach support and enables you to lift up your knees to reduce rotation of the lumbar spine.
Body pillows also come with memory foam fill. But there are other traditional fills available.
Why Should you Choose a Memory Foam Pillow?
Choosing the right material for your pillow is essential because it is the material that offers both firmness and supportiveness to your cervical spine and shoulders.
Firm and Supportive
Most of the traditional pillow materials aren’t as firm as memory foam. So your head usually sinks into the pillow, leading to misalignment of spine and to buildup of pressure on the shoulders.
Memory foam, however, is a very firm material. Because of its firmness, it can prevent your head from sinking into the pillow.
By doing so, it promotes better alignment of your spine and supports your neck throughout the night.
Molds to Fit your Curves
Memory foam can mold with the help of heat and pressure.
When you rest your body on memory foam, it molds to fit your curves perfectly. So your cervical spine gets firm support all through the night.
Durable
You don’t have to worry about a memory foam pillow flattening out with time, unlike traditional pillows.
Memory foam is a very dense material and perfectly capable of maintaining its original shape throughout its lifespan. So a pillow made from premium quality memory foam can last for more than 5 years.
Hypoallergenic
Your pillow can cause allergies. In fact, here are a few symptoms that can be caused by an old pillow:
- Itchy eyes
- Runny nose
- Chest tightness
- Itchy skin
- Hives
- Swollen face
- Stomach pain
- Vomiting and diarrhoea
This usually happens because of dust mite and mold buildup inside the pillow.
Memory foam, on the other hand, is a very dense material. So dust, dust mites, and molds cannot build up into it, making it the perfect hygienic pillow fill that you deserve.
Tips to Reduce Shoulder Pain
Here are a few tips that can speed up your healing process:
- Follow good sleeping posture
- Get a pillow with firm material so that your head doesn’t sink in
- Use ice pack to reduce inflammation in the affected shoulder
- When the pain reduces, start light stretches to increase your range of motion
- Use heat pack to relax the muscles
Once your pain is gone, increase the range of motion via stretches. Also, start performing a few strength exercises like push ups once the pain is gone.
Conclusion
In this post, you’ve learned about the best pillows for shoulder pain. You should pick one of these pillows after going through their specific advantages. Each of the pillows fits a particular requirement, so read carefully and then make your decision.