Physiotherapist and manual therapist Christian Büttner aboutThe right sleeping pillow

Patients who have back pain often come to my practice. There are many reasons for this. Little exercise, wrong movements or insufficient musculature. In addition to a thorough anamnesis, i.e. a discussion about the patient’s history of suffering and the resulting adapted therapy, a look at the sleep environment is indispensable. For example, one patient reported having trouble falling asleep and waking up frequently at night. Pain accompanied him through the night, so that in the morning he was tense and tired. It was clear to me that this was exactly where we had to start. Each of us should lie orthopedically well. The right pillow can make all the difference to being well-rested and pain-free in the morning.

There are a few things to consider when choosing a headres It must be flexible on the one hand and sufficiently stable in the individual sleep phases on the other. This allows blood to circulate and gently supports the cervical spine. Since each of us has different sleeping habits, it is important to think carefully about the individual needs and requirements that are placed on the right pillow. With the help of experts, such as therapists and sleep consultants, it becomes clear what is needed.

In this regard, the size of a pillow is already decisive. The standard size of 80 x 80 cm is unfavorable, because in this case the shoulders also lie on the pillow. If you complain of tension in the cervical spine in the morning, you could try an ergonomically shaped neck support pillow in the size 40 x 80 cm. Attention should also be paid to the filling of a pillow to ensure good muscle relaxation in the cervical vertebrae and shoulders. So a customized pillow is an important step on the way to get rid of pain and sleep well. I therefore recommend that my patients pay particular attention to their personal lying characteristics when buying a pillow and, if necessary, also try out different pillows. Because ultimately nothing beats the test lying here.

THE PERSON: Christian Büttner has been working as a physiotherapist for more than 15 years. His treatment is holistic in nature. He has advanced training in cranio-sacral osteopathy, lymphatic drainage, sports physical therapy and fascia techniques, among others. The 40-year-old works as a teacher at the Heilpraktikerschule in Marburg and supervises the handball teams of the Slovakian men’s national team and the second-division team TV Hüttenberg as a therapist.