Arc4life's Cervical Traction Neck Pillow

Arc4life answers quite a bit of customer emails, telephone calls and general inquires about the neck pillow. Our favorite feedback is that the pillow is working- what other products do you suggest specifically for pain relief?

The "support" side

You can opt to rest your head and neck upon this pillow's so-called "support" or "neck pillow" side (i.e., edge) simply by keeping the pillow flat upon your mattress while rotating it 180 degrees from its more conspicuous V-shaped "side." Actually, I myself virtually never use this "support" part of the pillow. For, while I don't exactly dislike it, its configuration and feel strike me as being fairly comparable to those ubiquitous "neck pillows" that you could easily find at neighborhood bricks-and-mortar stores--including Wal-Mart--for less money. [Well, to be fair, those cheaper "neck pillows" are generally fashioned from basic "foam rubber"--or a low grade of "memory foam"--that doesn't really match the comfort or longevity of this pillow's touted "top quality, hand-stuffed, polyester fiber;" thus, even if you only use this (arguably least significant) "side" of the pillow, you'll still likely end up feeling you've gotten your money's worth.]

Perhaps if I were a full-time "back sleeper" I'd be using that "support" side of the pillow pretty regularly (alternating its use with that of the "traction" side). But, frankly, I didn't shell out sixty bucks for this pillow merely to have it emulate the common "neck" pillow; nay, I bought it primarily for its V-shaped ("traction") side, which--along with the two adjacent "wings" (for "side sleeping") that I'll discuss shortly--is the portion of this pillow I myself actually use nightly.

The "V-shaped" ("traction") side

Whenever you're lying on your back and looking directly at the ceiling (i.e., with your head properly nestled in the primary, "V-shaped" area), that's when this pillow is at its best. Mind, you don't necessarily have to be staring directly at the ceiling (though that's likely the optimal--most beneficial--position); you can, instead, somewhat turn your head left or right, such that you're looking upward at this or that angle. Again, keep in mind that (regardless of the slightly forbidding appearance of the above photo) that V-shaped part of the pillow is actually quite soft and reasonably "forgiving" whenever you turn your head somewhat leftward or rightward.

That said, I should stress that the middle "V" does pretty effectively and admirably encourage you to hold your head in such an "optimal" ("balanced" or "centered") position that your neck's cervical structure is more or less naturally, correctly aligned.

After having fully adjusted to this pillow's special configuration more than about six or seven weeks ago, I myself do find its V-shaped portion (and the "perfectly-centered-neck" position) to be suitably comfy. Nevertheless, my innate nature is such that I can only remain in that ostensibly "optimal" position for a while--not for the entire night. But methinks even some "cervical centeredness" is better than none. In any case, whenever I'm not thus "back sleeping" (using the "V" portion of this pillow), you can rest assured I'm instead "side sleeping" (using either the left or the right "wing" portion of this pillow.

The two "wings"

Indeed, regarding this pillow's left and right "wing" areas (on either side of the middle "V"), I do use them continually throughout each night as I alternate sleeping on my back with sleeping on either of my sides. Those "wings" feel very satisfying and comfortable, even if they do sort of seem to constitute a mere "adjunct" to this pillow's raison d'etre (i.e., its middle "V" or "cervical traction" portion). Using either of the "wings" (for side sleeping) generally necessitates that I slide the pillow a few inches leftward or rightward (so that my head is no longer upon the middle, V-shaped area). But this is very easily--and, by now, virtually habitually--done.

Continue Reading here...