I have multiple problems with my neck, one of which is a constant pain down the left side running into my arm. It causes my fingers to shake sometimes. I saw this pillow on some website but purchased it from amazon. It is called a cervical traction pillow. The reviews say that if you can get used to the pillow that it is very helpful and I would have to agree. Starting with the very first night the pain going down the left side of my neck is has been markedly diminished. At first I thought it was a fluke but I had three good days in a row. Then two bad days after evenings where I did not use the pillow. So I think it is really helping. The reviewers are right, it is not comfortable initially. You kind of need an attitude of, "I know this is good for me so I'm going to do it."

I've tried quite a few other pillows with no luck and I know others have neck pain so I thought I'd post it here.
[www.amazon.com]




Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/28/2010 08:36AM by rgG.

How much water does it take to swallow that baby each night?!

errrrr neck pain did you say neck pain..... some daze it is hard to live with. I have 3 pillows.... 2 are foam 1 is down... I am constantly adjusting them to find the comfort zone. I have this little fusion of C-5 - 6 -7.
C-7 is actually a piece of donor bone. My original C-7 burst and almost vaporized during the cliff/gulch dive. There is a small Titanium plate and 4 screws that holds it all together. There was 6.5 hours of surgery with 2 Dr's that put Humpty-Dumpty back together. Sometimes I can hear and feel some crepitus/grating and crunching. At first the usual pain killers were the path I traveled. The Pain was overwhelming. After a years time I was able just to drop the pain killers and go with neck exercises and stretching. Now, sometimes swimming, sometimes the computer and sometimes just laying down cause me to feel the symptoms of pain and irritability. I eat Ibuprofen as needed, run hot showers on my neck and get good neck muscle massages.

I hope the pillow works for you Dave. I understand your pain.

Rudie

---

“Stay Hungry Stay Foolish"
Steve Jobs

"There are only two mantras yum and yuk mine is yum "
Bernard Mickey Wrangle<>Tom Robbins<> "Still Life With Woodpecker"

"There is a fine line between a rut and a groove"
G.D. Kittredge III

"

hah, you are right about my getting the subject wrong. That was a funny one, hard to swallow that pill! If there are any admins that care please fix my spelling error as I can't do it anymore.

haikuman, I remember your accident. You were the cause of great concern on the forum at that time. What kind of neck exercises do you do?

some of those neck traction devices on the Amazon page look rather medieval, but also like they may help. now, only if they had a home back traction device... pop>pop>pop. ahhhhhhhhhhhh

mrbigstuff, i was thinking the exact same thing. I had a dream one night that I was on one of those torture stretching machines...and I liked it!

when I finally find someone willing and big enough to crack my back (which only happens about once a year) the result is positively exhilarating. I'm not sure why this can't be recreated at home.

Well, unfortunately, I am also in the neck pain club! I have foam type pillow, but can't tell that it helps. I too have the popping, grinding, etc. sound in neck most days, and am totally incapacitated many days. I will have to check this out.

Today must be pain day on forum! Later post deals with hand/finger pain...

Thanks, lazy, for the post.

P.S. I just went to Amazon site and read some reviews - mostly good, but what about the sleeping on back only issue? Someone said it only works if you sleep on your back, which I don't do most of the night. Tossin' & turnin', tossin' and turin' all night........ jumped out of bed.... , turned on the light...went downstairs to the kitchen for a bite........ come on, sing along!

---

That old man - he don't think like no old man...
Now I wouldn't want to be within 400 - 500 yards of one of them nuclear bombs when it goes off! WW1 Vet Old Man
"He's pinned under an outcropping of rock. Lucky for him, the rock kept the dirt from burying him alive."
If idiots could fly, this place would be an airport. And I'd be a TSA agent.
A bonified member of The Mystic Knights of The Sea, George P. Stevens, President. Andy Brown, Treasurer, Algonquin J. Calhoun, Legal Consultant.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/28/2010 10:29AM by GuyGene.

To get the traction benefit you would have to sleep on your back. Your head is cradles in that V of the pillow and it kind of stretches it out and holds it in place. That's why so many of the reviewers say it is uncomfortable at first. I made it all through the night last night so I must be getting used to it. The rest of the pillow is nice and firm so you can sleep on your side with it, you just don't get the traction benefit. You can also flip the pillow over for a more normal experience.

Thanks again, lazy; I will have to check that out. When one suffers as much as I have (and others here it seems), you get ready to try about anything!

---

That old man - he don't think like no old man...
Now I wouldn't want to be within 400 - 500 yards of one of them nuclear bombs when it goes off! WW1 Vet Old Man
"He's pinned under an outcropping of rock. Lucky for him, the rock kept the dirt from burying him alive."
If idiots could fly, this place would be an airport. And I'd be a TSA agent.
A bonified member of The Mystic Knights of The Sea, George P. Stevens, President. Andy Brown, Treasurer, Algonquin J. Calhoun, Legal Consultant.

I do typical flexion and extension exercises. Simple forward and backward stretching of my neck. Letting my chin touch my chest then stretching back as far as I can go which is very limited. I also push my arms and hands forward and backward with arms bent at the elbows. I have included a useful link.*(:>*
Turning left and right as far as possible also helps. These movements are also limited

Neck

[www.google.com]

I will never forget the forum members who cared and acted in a very kind and generous manner. Forum members are better than any medicine I know.

Rudie *(:>*

---

“Stay Hungry Stay Foolish"
Steve Jobs

"There are only two mantras yum and yuk mine is yum "
Bernard Mickey Wrangle<>Tom Robbins<> "Still Life With Woodpecker"

"There is a fine line between a rut and a groove"
G.D. Kittredge III

"

For haikuman:

The forum is good.
It really helps with my mood.
I like this forum.

Terrible, but I know. Thanks for stretching tips, and the link. I will check that out when I have time. Go to doctor thursday again. They are screening me for pain management...

---

That old man - he don't think like no old man...
Now I wouldn't want to be within 400 - 500 yards of one of them nuclear bombs when it goes off! WW1 Vet Old Man
"He's pinned under an outcropping of rock. Lucky for him, the rock kept the dirt from burying him alive."
If idiots could fly, this place would be an airport. And I'd be a TSA agent.
A bonified member of The Mystic Knights of The Sea, George P. Stevens, President. Andy Brown, Treasurer, Algonquin J. Calhoun, Legal Consultant.