Pillows & Matresses

Memory Foam products, such as Memory Foam Mattresses, Memory Foam Mattress Toppers and Memory Foam Pillows are an excellent adjunct to physiotherapy treatment for back pain and neck pain. Back pain and neck pain conditions are often made worse by poor posture when sleeping. Physiotherapy advice and exercises aim to improve posture to provide more support and stability for the spine. However if you consider that patients spend one or two hours per week working with a physiotherapist and seven hours each night lying in bed, then the importance of good quality supportive pillows and mattresses becomes obvious. Without high quality support pillows and mattresses, all the gains made during physiotherapy treatment are undone by putting stress on the back and neck during the night.

Common neck pain conditions such as whiplash, wry neck, a slipped disc in the neck and neck arthritis can produce symptoms of neck stiffness, neck muscle spasm and neck pain if the neck is not properly supported during sleep. Normal pillows sag under the weight of the head during the night. This means that neck muscles and ligaments are held in a stretched position. Over time this can cause neck ache and neck muscle spasm. This lack of neck support is responsible for the neck pain and neck stiffness that can be experienced when waking up.

Neck pain pillows can provide neck pain relief. High quality neck supporting pillows, such as memory foam pillows, can break the cycle of neck pain, neck spasm and disturbed sleep by providing comfortable support for the head and neck. This allows the muscles of the neck and shoulders to relax and removes excessive stress from the ligaments and joints of the neck. Once neck pain and neck stiffness has been resolved then continued use of an orthopaedic neck pain pillow can prevent a recurrence of neck pain symptoms.

Similarly, back pain can often be aggravated by a lack of support during sleep. An old mattress or a mattress that is either too firm or too soft can cause the joints and ligaments of the spine to have inadequate support. This lack of support puts strain on spinal joints, ligaments, muscles and discs. When this strain is prolonged during sleep for a period of six or seven hours, then it can cause back problems that are characterised by a back ache on waking up.

Back problems such as a herniated disc, Sciatica, degenerative disc disease, spinal stenosis and facet syndrome can all be aggravated by a lack of postural support during sleep. The cure for this back pain is to provide proper support for the back using an orthopaedic mattress such as a memory foam mattress. Memory foam mattresses mould to the contour of the body, which means that it provides the right amount of support for the spine. This relieves pressure on the joints of the spine and the ligaments, discs and muscles of the back. With no stress on the back you are able to relax completely without muscle spasm and enjoy a great night’s sleep.