In the past, I have the same experience. Waking up in the morning with an aching back is somehow the routine that I got used to. Fortunately, I learned one simple solution to end it: I invested in the best pillow for back pain.
You see, the quality of your pillows can affect the wellness and smoothness of your sleep. A pillow with great ergonomics is capable of providing support to the head and shoulder region. Chronic back pain can be eased if these parts of your body (including the shoulder) are properly taken care of while you are sleeping.
This time, let me introduce to you the products that can help you relieve your back pain.
Product Comparison Table
Top 5 Best Pillow For Back Pain Reviews
I came across with the OXA Pillows two years ago. I was not a stranger of its quality and features. That's why upon searching for the perfect pillow for back suffer, this one popped in my thoughts immediately.
This pillow features an active contour design. The latter ensures that regardless of its position, it can conform to your head and neck sufficiently. There are forty inner coils inside the pillow that act as its suspension.
Because of such capability, the pillow is also suitable for any sleeping positions. You can move your body freely without compromising its support and comfort. Regardless of your weight, the resilience of the suspension can prevent your head from sinking.
- Excellent conforming design and highly breathable construction
- Features impressive shape retention
- Comfortable fabrics were used on this pillow
- Helps in alleviating other problems like spondylitis, arthritis, and rheumatism
- The loft is not adjustable
I always had this thought that memory foam pillows have the best chances of vanquishing my back pain. Fortunately, such intuition was indeed right. I have proven this when I got the Coop Home Goods Pillow as a Christmas gift last 2018.
The pillow itself has an adjustable loft, which is a necessary feature to accommodate the various needs of sleepers. The memory foam is actually tailored from shredded visco-elastic foam and microfiber. These materials give the pillow the conformity and retention that it needs to support your head and neck.
The ventilation of this foam is quite impressive as well. Originally, foams don't permit air to pass through because of their closed design.
- Features adjustable loft so that you can always get the right thickness
- The washable bamboo cover keeps the pillow breathable
- Uses cross-cut memory foam and microfiber blend as its fill
- Hypoallergenic and mite-resistant construction
- Pillow retention is not an issue
Don't get the idea that I am deeply inclined with expensive sleep amenities. Let me share a secret to you: I am always on the look for affordable yet effective products. That's why when the Sleep Innovations Cool Contour Pillow was introduced, I was really elated.
After all, this contour pillow is indeed one of the best choices for people with back pain. The contour itself is proof that it can cradle your head, shoulders, and neck simultaneously. It can provide relief on your strained muscles and help vanquish pressure points.
The memory foam used on this pillow is highly breathable. It doesn't get hot when you lie here even on an extended period. I have tried lying on this bed and found out that this one can indeed conform to the shape of my body.
- The open-cell memory foam ensures that it will adapt to the shape of your body
- Keeps the heat away so that you can wake up fresh
- Contoured design ensures that your body is fully supported
- Gentle surface will not cause any irritation and decent shape retention
- The overall circumference of this pillow is quite smaller than conventional pillows
- Not as firm as others
I am always a fan of the pillows created by Snuggle-Pedic. For one, their pillows are orthopedic. You can still use them if you are experiencing physical pain, especially on the back and the neck.
This is the very reason why I listed their Snuggle-Pedic Ultra-Luxury Pillow on this guide. Just like the Coop Home Goods Pillow, this pillow utilizes finely shredded memory foam pillows. It has the right firmness that can provide support for back sleepers.
Since it is relatively thick, the pillow can also suit well the needs of side sleepers. I can also attest that this pillow doesn't go flat or mushy. I have been using this pillow for a year now, and its shape and thickness are still the same!
- Comes with adjustable loft to serve your needs and adapts to your body shape
- Exceptional retention for a long-lasting performance
- Provides enough ventilation to keep the moisture and heat out
- Tends to release odor upon its first usage
The uniqueness of the Z Zone Pillow is definitely one of the reasons why I adore it. Technically, it is still a memory foam. However, it has been infused with gel dough. The latter provides enough suppleness to the foam so that you can feel comfortable with it.
I used this pillow on vacation in Florida last year. This is the very pillow that our guest house was used. Honestly, it is extremely comfortable and breathable to use.
Despite being supple, the pillow was never mushy at all. It won't cause your head to sink. You just lie there, and the foam will just cradle the important regions of your head, neck, and shoulders.
- The open-cell design ensures retention and feature the appropriate level of firmness
- A unique infusion of dough gel in the memory foam improves its conformity and comfort
- Highly breathable construction and regulates the proper sleeping temperature
- Slightly pricey
What Causes Back Pain?
For one, back pain can cause you to miss a lot of stuff. If the pain is elevated, it can cause you to skip work or school.
According to MAYO CLINIC, here are the culprits causing back pain. Depending on the causes, seeing an appropriate physician is necessary.
Of course, there are other risk factors that you have to take into account as well. One should know that conditions like back pain can be aggravated once your lifestyle is unhealthy. (Via: Spine Health)
How Does a Pillow Help Relieve Back Pain?
Back pain can be caused by a variety of factors. Fortunately, there are ways to alleviate this harrowing predicament. Especially, a back pain relief pillow can optimize its effects.
They can actually provide support for proper spinal alignment (Via: Spine Health). Just like what I have mentioned, irregularities in the spine can cause back pain. These pillows can help correct the problem.
By placing the back pain pillow properly under your head and neck, your spine won't curve abnormally. You can also put the pillow slightly at the end of your hips or on your knees to get a more comfortable sleeping experience.
To learn more details, here is a helpful video to guide you!
There are various classifications when it comes to the lower back pain pillow, but most of the time, the market classify them based on their material, design and great combinations that further improve the capability of the pillow to relieve back pain
Editor's Note
By Materials
1
Feather
Feather pillows are one of the most optimal choices for people who are suffering from chronic back pain.
These pillows are usually stuffed with the feather of geese or ducks that feature an adjustable loft and sufficient loft. The lifespan of these feather pillows is pretty long, but in the long run, they'll get flat eventually.
2
Latex
For back pain, this material may not be as good as feather and memory foam, but it is a decent choice already.
It can conform well to your body without losing its retention. The support that a latex pillow have is also useful as well.
The only downside is that you cannot adjust their loft. Depending on the brand, latex can get costly, too.
3
Memory Foam
Memory foam is the best conceive material that comes with excellent conforming capability. It can adapt to the shape of your body, which in turn, allows you sufficient comfort and support. Because of its conformity, a memory foam pillow is considered as the best one for shoulder pain, and back pain.
The thickness and firmness of this pillow can relieve the strain in the shoulder and neck region. However, if not designed intuitively, memory foam pillows can get hot. They are not as breathable as feather pillows after all.
By Design
Curved Pillows
Cervical pillow - with a curved design that is typically made from memory foam and features a notable contour. This one works by elevating the neck so that it is slightly aligned with the head. Such mechanism gives extreme comfort and support to people that have back and neck pains.
Even or Flat Pillows
On the flipside, pillows with even design might not be an excellent choice for sleepers with back pain. However, if they have made from feather or memory foam, they can be able to provide relief to your back.
Knee Pillows
These pillows have a noticeable concave mark where you can slide in your knees. Such a design removes the pressure in the lower back. It can also be used to support the torso.
Lumbar Pillows
The lumbar pillows are the only pillows that can be slid directly in your back. They act as support, especially if the pain is quite unbearable. This pillow can either have a curved top or wedged design.
How to Choose Pillows for Back Pain?
There are still some other things that you should consider whenever you are choosing the pillows for back suffer:
1
Support
The support that a pillow can give is dependent on its loft The appropriate level of firmness (I recommend the medium firmness or a rating of 3) that stops your head from sinking in the pillow. So it can help in the alignment of your spine to the rest of your body.
2
Comfort
The comfort level of a pillow is somehow dependent on the firmness of the pillow, too. But anyway, it has to be breathable because if it doesn't have enough ventilation, it can cause excessive sweating in the middle of the night.
3
Shape
Best back pain products can come in different shapes and sizes. I have already introduced curved pillows, which are great to support your neck and shoulders. Some pillows have concave cuts on them so that you can insert them on your back or knees.
4
Budget
Pillows have different prices that depend on the complexity of the construction.
Ergonomic and therapeutic pillows for individual cases (like back pain and other discomforts) might be a bit more expensive. According to the products I've researched, they cost between $30 to $100.
5
The Loft
The loft is related to the thickness of a pillow that each has different loft measurements. It is depending on your sleeping position.
A low-loft pillow has a default thickness of three inches. Meanwhile, medium-loft reach up to five inches. High-loft pillows can go as thick as seven to eight inches.
Other Essential Considerations
Make sure that you don't forget these following aspects in choosing this kind of pillow. They can somehow determine if a particular pillow is suitable for your needs and preferences.
1
Sleeping Position
Your sleeping position also matters whenever you are choosing pillows. Let me give you a quick guide for this.
2
The Weight of the Sleeper
You also have to consider your body weight before purchasing. In my experience, people that weighs around 250 pounds or more tend to sink in their mattress or pillows.
Because of this, it is appropriate for them to get pillows that have low-loft to medium-loft. In this way, they won't experience too much sinking.
Lighter individuals, on the other hand, should go for medium-loft to high-loft pillows.
Wrapping it Up
As of now, chronic back pain is already considered a problematic predicament. After all, it can cause sleep deprivation and other inconveniences that can affect your daily life. It is important that there is a proper intervention to eliminate this problem.
The best pillows for back pain is a cost-efficient yet effective means that you can try. These pillows can directly help in correcting the alignment of your spine. They can also eradicate various pressure points in your body.
Among all the pillows that I have listed here, I can say that the OXA Pillows can give you the best relief for back pain. It has the right firmness and conformity for enhanced support. Other than that, it is also breathable and gives you a comfortable sleeping experience.
- PERMANENTLY SOFT & HIGHLY RESILIENT -- A unique pillow with non-Flatten System is very soft, but very durable, too. After 50,000 pounding cycles, Pillow retains 91% of its volume and 94% of its...
- INDEPENDENT SUSPENSION & ACTIVE CONTOUR -- 40 Inner coils are wrapped separately and capable of individual movement. Any head is always perfectly cradled in any position. Move freely, for instance...
- HEAT & MOISTURE GONE -- The percale weave cover with 3D spacer mesh, and silky fibers offer exceptional cooling breath-ability. With every slight pressure of the head, warm air will flow out, taking...
- PERFECT FOR ALL – Take your form, sprung sleeping pillows will work with you no matter you are side, back, stomach or pregnant sleepers. Neck pain, back pain, spondylitis, arthritis, rheumatism,...
- OTHER INFORMATION -- 90-DAY, No Hassle REFUND GUARANTEE & FREE CUSTOMIZATION'S. 20-Year Warranty! Please care the pillows according the instructions. Pillow size: 26" x16.5".
That's it for now. If you have questions or suggestions, feel free to drop them in the comment section below.