Loading...
Specially contoured pillows to support the neck during sleep are used to treat chronic neck pain but have not been adequately studied in controlled trials. This Canadian study included 128 people with neck pain of 2 to 12 months' duration. All participants made 7 to 10 visits to a physical therapist and received hot or cold packs and light massage. In addition, they were randomized to receive a neck-support pillow to be used during sleep; an active exercise program taught by physical therapists and performed at home; both pillow and exercises; or neither.
At 12 weeks, significant improvement in pain, as measured by a standardized neck-pain questionnaire, had occurred in the combined-treatment group but not in the other three groups. From a b…