my “partner” is bad and my neck is hurt.
The neck is the narrowest part of the human body, but it is also one of the most critical passages of the human body. If the human body is compared to a bottle, the neck is exactly called the “bottleneck”. The neck supports the head on the top and the trunk on the bottom, with special functions. It can connect the preceding and the following in the smallest scope, concentrate on passing through the important blood vessels and trunk nerves of the human body, and transmit various “information”. Therefore, it is very important to protect the neck.
In daily life, people always bend their heads and necks more often, and the ligaments and muscles behind their necks are always strained. As time goes on, they are easy to feel tired.
Sleep is a good time to relax the cervical spine in the natural state of physiological bending. One third of one’s life is spent in sleep. The pillow is our closest “partner” when we sleep. It is very important to choose this “partner”. If the pillow is improperly selected or used, such as too high or too low, too soft or too hard, it will not only degrade the quality of sleep, but also damage the neck tissue, leading to neck and shoulder pain.
choose a “partner” and sleep peacefully
Here are some suggestions on how to choose a pillow that suits you.
1. Pillow height
Healthy sleep should keep the head and trunk horizontal when lying on the back, place the pillow behind the neck and keep the head slightly tilted back; When lying on the side, the pillow should be at the same height as the shoulder, so that the neck and shoulder muscles can form a relaxed state.
The specific pillow height should be determined according to the individual’s physiological radian, sleep posture and age. Generally speaking, the occipital height of 3-6 years old is 3-6 cm, 7-10 cm for 7-11 years old, 9-12 cm for 14-15 years old, and 12-15 cm for adults. The length of the pillow is generally 10-16cm longer than the shoulder width of the pillow.
Long term use of pillows, too low or too high pillows will have adverse effects on neck muscles, ligaments, spinal cord, nerve roots, etc. correct use and selection of pillows will be conducive to spine health care and improve sleep quality.
2. Pillow shape
The ideal pillow shape is low in the middle, high in the periphery or high in the front and low in the back, which can maintain the normal physiological curve of the cervical spine, relax, recuperate and protect the cervical spine. At present, there are many kinds of pillows on the market, and their shapes are often flat. Although such pillows have beautiful shapes, they do not conform to the physiological curvature of the cervical spine.
3. Pillow hardness
The pillow core should not be too hard or too soft for comfort. Strong pillow, small contact area with the head, increased pressure, uncomfortable scalp; On the contrary, the pillow is too soft, it is difficult to maintain a certain height, neck muscles are easy to fatigue, and it is not conducive to sleep. Therefore, the pillow should be slightly soft without losing certain hardness.
In addition, if the pillow is too elastic, if a spring pillow is used, the head may be affected by the added elastic force, resulting in muscle fatigue and damage, so it is not suitable to use it for a long time. Buckwheat skin pillow core is good, easy to adjust height, and moderate elasticity. It is a good choice.
4. Drug pillow selection
China has a long history of using medicinal pillows. At present, there are many kinds of drug pillows on the market, so we must be careful when choosing. If we use them improperly, they will not only fail to play their due role, but will aggravate the original condition.
Generally speaking, mung bean pillows, chrysanthemum pillows, tea pillows, five leaf pillows, alum pillows, etc. have the functions of clearing away heat, detoxifying, reducing fire and refreshing the brain. They are better used in hot seasons, especially for people with Yin deficiency and internal fire. Cassia pillow, magnet pillow, blood activating pillow, etc. are suitable for people with high blood pressure, cervical spondylosis and memory loss, but not for people with low blood pressure. It should be reminded that women in menstruation and pregnancy should not use medicine pillows and water pillows, especially blood activating pillows, so as to avoid trouble.
when should I change my pillow?
The pillow should be changed every 1 ~ 3 years. Because dirty and old pillows are easy to breed mites, molds, etc., causing allergies or respiratory diseases. The self-examination criteria for whether pillows should be replaced are as follows.
1. In the absence of related physical diseases, I often feel numb and sour in my neck after I get up.
2. The pillow has lost its elasticity. After patting and adjusting the pillow, it quickly returns to flat.
3. The pillow is caked and uneven, and the filler has moldy odor.
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