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Neck curvature

Georgia
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05/21/2010 - 3:55pm
Neck curvature
Hello,

I have a question about changing the curvature of the neck.  I have been sleeping with cervical pillows for years and when I lie on a flat surface, there is a space between the floor and my neck that I can slip my fingers into--my neck does not lie flat along the floor.  If I understand correctly from reading your book, it should be flat or almost flat.    I have tried using several regular pillows of varying thickness, and when I wake up I find that I feel a bit stiff in the neck/shoulder area, and also sometimes in the sacral area.    I assume that over time I will adjust to the pillows, but I was curious if you have observed a general length of time that it takes for the neck to adjust to the new pillow and to lose its excess curvature, if one is using a good pillow and practicing good posture.  Thanks!
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09/10/2008 - 8:36pm
The neck is usually a slow changing structure. I recommend you bunch your pillow up a little so you don't have a gap behind your neck. I rarely recommend cervical pillows because they usually take people in the wrong direction, i.e. they create more cervical curvature than the person started with. You want to do something between what is ideal and what you are used to doing. Take your neck in the direction of lengthening and flattening it, but recognize that your neck is not ideally shaped yet and likes to be supported under its entire length.
debjsd
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05/28/2010 - 3:03pm
Just a suggestion that has been working for me--I have long used a rolled up towel for cervical "support" as suggested by a chiropractor many years ago as I could not find any rolls or cervical pillows that worked for me. Now I have been gradually cutting down on the size of the towel and then last week rolled up a pillowcase which was almost nothing and am now down to not using anything but my down pillow which I can crunch up abit. Just a thought for those of you who might have to wean yourself off cervical supports.
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Way to go!
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