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A Pillow Belongs Too:  Vacation Self Help Kit Part 4

MICHELLE MILLNER, PT, DPT, OCS

 

Have you ever had a sore neck from sleeping at a hotel or at someone else’s house? If we calculate that the average person sleeps for 7­-8 hours a night, then approximately 30% of our time is spent in close contact with a pillow.

Most of us select a comfortable pillow at home and use it consistently for years. Hotels and the homes you visit may not have high quality pillows that support your neck.

Taking a pillow known to be comfortable when traveling might reduce some of the discomfort. Not only can taking a comfortable pillow reduce discomfort caused by less than stellar sleeping accommodations, but it can also help support your posture on long plane or car rides.

Pillows can also make excellent lumbar supports when applied behind the back while seated. Plane seats in particular, encourage you to slouch. Simply putting a pillow behind you will encourage you to sit up straighter.  The same is true for a long car ride.

When applying the pillow to your back in sitting, keep these key points in mind.

  1. Sit all the way back in your seat, such that your buttocks and tailbone are all the way back and touching the back of the seat.
  2. Lean forward from your trunk and place the pillow as low down along your back as you can.
  3. Lean back over the pillow. It should be located in the small of your back and make you feel like you are sitting up straighter. It will be more difficult to slouch in this position.
  4. Each person is different. You may have to experiment with different size pillows and densities to get the right fit.

If you have specific questions about pillow selection, sitting posture, sleeping posture or other questions related to travel self help kits, please feel free to contact us for a consultation. Any of our orthopedic clinical specialists will be able to answer your questions.

 

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