The Best Pillows for Back Pain of 2021 – Pain-Free Nights

Do you suffer with back pain on a daily basis? Does it affect your sleep each night? If so, you’ve probably read a million and one different solutions online. Today, we want to provide an option that is working for many; special pillows. Not just pillows you’re accustomed to on your bed, there are many cleverly-designed pillows that support the back, neck, shoulders, and head. This way, the pressure points are alleviated and the whole alignment of the spine improves. 

Similarly, others are finding relief with a pillow between the legs. With this in mind, we hope you feel some relief that there are options out there for you to try. However, we should note that a poor choice of pillow will have the opposite effect. How do you choose the right one? This is where we come in! 

In this guide, you’ll learn all about; 

• The best pillow for back pain (several options) 
• Buying considerations 
• Exactly why the right pillow will work wonders
• Key features of a good pillow
• Different positions 

By the end, we hope you can make a decision that helps your back and improves your sleep. With this, you’ll have more energy during the day and life will get that little bit easier! 

The Best Pillows for Back Pain 

FinePillow Bed Pillow for Neck Pain Review

Whether you sleep on your stomach, back, side, or a combination of all three, you should be good with this supportive pillow, and this is the first huge advantage. As you get comfortable, the FinePillow Bed Pillow for Neck Pain adapts to the curve of your neck while filling the space between your head and the mattress to keep the spine aligned. As you rest your head, you’ll feel like you’re sleeping on a cloud thanks to the millions of soft and pliable fibers that form the inner chamber. Meanwhile, the outer chamber has millions of hair-like fibers, which increase the comfort and the plush feeling.

When looking for the right pillow, comfort is just the start because you also need a breathable product to prevent overheating. Fortunately, the FinePillow works well and even helps with shoulder and neck pain too. Even if you tend to flip your pillow every so often or fold it in half, you’ll have a reliable partner with this product.

If you’re worried about your asthma or allergies, you’ll be glad to know the fibers are 100% hypoallergenic and high in quality. Free from feathers and molds, the FinePillow Bed Pillow for Neck Pain is also encased with 100% cotton (breathable and with a 220-thread count).

Finally, we also love the fact that you don’t have to continually work hard to keep the pillow clean. Instead, the manufacturer recommends laundering every nine months or so. Put it on a gentle cycle, dry it on a low heat in the machine, and pop a couple of tennis balls to fluff it, for a like-new feel!

Coop Home Goods Eden Adjustable Pillow Review

For our second recommendation, we want to bring the Coop Home Goods Eden Adjustable Pillow to your attention. Why? The first thing we like is the gel-infused memory foam, which sleeps cooler than traditional foam; also, the foam itself is shredded, which helps with spinal alignment, temperature regulation, and conforming to the body.

After this, it has a bamboo-derived viscose rayon and polyester Lulltra fabric cover. Again, this is important for temperature neutrality. From here, we reach the main selling point and the reason we’ve chosen this pillow for flexibility; the adjustable loft. Depending on your need, just add/remove the shredded foam, and you’ll be ready for a comfortable sleep. Some sleepers need a different height from one night to the next, so this feature is incredibly useful. Even if you sleep with a pillow between your legs, the moldable nature makes this one a fantastic option.

What can you expect for your investment? Well, the manufacturer suggests an expected lifespan of three years, and this is actually longer than most others of a similar design. Additionally, the Coop Home Goods Eden Adjustable Pillow is easy to clean - you’re able to wash the cover without damaging the foam thanks to a removable polyester liner.

If manufacturing is a point of concern for you, you’ll be happy to know that Coop Home Goods produces all their pillows in the US and that they undergo extensive third-party lab testing. With this in mind, it means the end products have the GREENGUARD Gold and CertiPUR-US certification to ensure safety and quality. Not only you can be confident that there’s no toxic chemicals in this pillow, but it’s also dust mite resistant, high-quality with materials, and hypoallergenic.

Compared to other back pain pillows, the Coop Home Goods Eden Adjustable Pillow is cheaper. Considering the manufacturer offers free shipping around the country, a 100-night sleep trial, great customer service, and a warranty of five years, buying the product just isn’t a risk.

OXA Spring Bed Pillow Review

Despite their many benefits, the drawback of down pillows is that they don’t always provide enough support; this leads to fatigue, muscle tension, stiffness, and general pain. Memory foam is another popular choice, but it tends to hold heat and lack airflow. What’s the solution? For the makers of the OXA Spring Bed Pillow, it’s a pocket spring design with 40 inner coils that support the head as it moves while also cradling the neck. By doing this, you can enjoy good spinal alignment and should wake up without any back pain.

With the percale weave cover, the silky fibers, and 3D spacer mesh, the OXA Spring Bed Pillow offers breathability as well. As soon as you rest your head on the pillow, warm air will flow out, taking away heat and moisture. As you lift the head, fresh air moves back inside. If you dread sleeping in summer or generally sleep hot, this is the ideal solution. With the so-called non-flatten design, it will also return to normal shape after a good night’s sleep.

Somehow, the designers and manufacturers have managed to come up with a product that blends softness and support extremely well. Regardless of whether you consider yourself a back, side, or stomach sleeper, you’ll have the support you need to enjoy relief from rheumatism, spondylitis, stress, back pain, neck pain, asthma, migraines, and arthritis. The company also offers free customizations, a 90-day refund guarantee, and an unbeatable 20-year warranty.

Sleep Innovations Cooling Contour Memory Foam Pillow Review

The next pillow for back pain is all to do with contouring. Known for therapeutic support, Sleep Innovations is a well-known brand, and their pillow will help you to feel refreshed every single morning. With lower and higher contours available, you can choose the one that matches your needs and finally get relief from chronic back pain associated with lousy sleeping positioning or a wrong pillow.

Designed mainly for side and back sleepers, the Sleep Innovations Cooling Contour Memory Foam Pillow allows for correct positioning of the spine while the neck and head also receive the support they need. We should also note that ventilation occurs through cooling open-cell memory foam in the top layer; you shouldn’t get too hot during the night with this addition.

In terms of the finer details, the foam is hypoallergenic, which should reduce the risk of reactions. What’s more, the terry velour cover is washable, and the whole product is made right here in the US. If your Sleep Innovations Cooling Contour Memory Foam Pillow becomes lumpy or loses shape, contact the manufacturer and make use of the five-year warranty.

Nature’s Guest Adjustable Cervical Pillow Review

The reason we chose the Nature’s Guest here is because of the proven contoured pillow design with the built-in neck roll cushion. If you sleep on your back, the cervical support you receive will feel luxurious. Even as you move to your side, the shift is accommodated thanks to the gusseted edge design. When using the Nature’s Guest Adjustable Cervical Pillow, the shoulder, back, and neck are aligned, and your sleep should be more restful. What’s more, you should be able to reduce the back pain from herniated discs, migraine headaches, arthritis, and various spinal issues.

In the cover, you’ll have gusseted sides with silk trim, 233-thread count, and breathability. The clever microfiber filling also increases airflow and ensures a more restful sleep. What’s more, there’s no harsh chemical smell, as the Nature’s Guest Adjustable Cervical Pillow is hypoallergenic, and the filling itself is easily accessed via the dual zipper. We think you’ll love the adjustable loft as you can change the support in the side areas and neck roll cushion for size and shape that suits YOUR sleeping habits. 

MALOUF Z Zoned Pillow Review

If you find yourself waking up sweating most nights, we believe the answer is the MALOUF Z Zoned Pillow. It has three technologies that all combine for ultimate cooling. Dough memory foam conforms to the body and distributes weight evenly. The gel infusion distributes heat rather than keeping it held within the pillow.

Elsewhere, the ZONED technology provides support and breathability with clever use of ventilation holes. Smaller holes around the perimeter support the neck while larger holes in the middle cradle the head. Fortunately, this technique also allows air to pass more easily through the pillow, and this means even more cooling.

What’s the third technology? The Tencel removable cover. Since this material is known for regulating temperature and managing moisture, it’s yet another feature that will help keep you comfortable in warmer climates.

Just in case we hadn’t spoken positively about this pillow enough, durability is another key strength of the MALOUF Z Zoned Pillow. We believe it should last beyond the three years normally quoted for a product like this. Another benefit is a wide selection. While some sleepers will choose the low loft, others will go medium or even high. As soon as you get up in the morning, the pillow will retain its shape without fluffing or primping. As added bonuses, you also get a five-year warranty and free shipping in the US.

Snuggle-Pedic Bamboo Shredded Memory Foam Pillow Review

Finally, we reach another trusted brand with Snuggle-Pedic. Providing orthopedic support by conforming to the head and neck, this pillow for back pain blends softness and durability very well. The shredded foam itself is coated with a high-quality micro-fiber, which is also used in bamboo pillows from the manufacturer. No matter how you move during the night, the Snuggle-Pedic Bamboo Shredded Memory Foam Pillow will adjust to keep you comfortable. Whether you like to gather the fill in one place or distribute it evenly to fit your positional needs, you can customize the pillow to your preference (however, most find it the perfect blend from the start).

Fortunately, there’s even more customization through the adjustable liner and cover; just add/remove fill whenever you need. Over time, feel free to play around and find the balance that works for you. If you’ve never used such a pillow, this is a great place to start because you can keep experimenting until you combine comfort and support perfectly. If you read reviews online, you’ll see that Snuggle-Pedic is particularly popular among CPAP machine users because of the fill adjustment feature.

Do you need to worry about chemicals? Absolutely not, the Snuggle-Pedic Bamboo Shredded Memory Foam Pillow has the CertiPUR certification. Also, it is dust mite resistant and hypoallergenic, which is great for sleepers who are allergic to regular feather pillows.

Whenever it needs freshening up a little, throw the cover in the machine. Although it takes longer, you can actually put the whole pillow in the machine as well; just be sure to follow the instructions. Just in case this wasn’t enough, it comes with a huge 20-year warranty (no wonder Snuggle-Pedic is such a popular brand!).

Dangers of Back Pain and Why a Pillow Can Help

Sadly, back pain is now a problem that affects millions and millions of Americans. Due to stressful lives, poor posture, poor office chairs, a lack of exercise, and a number of other causes, back pain is actually the biggest contributor to healthcare costs. It’s a leading cause of disability and some believe that HALF of the working population experience back pain to some degree. Other causes include scoliosis and other skeletal issues, and muscle strains. 

While back pain causes discomfort during the day, it’s undeniably frustrating at night. We can’t get comfortable, don’t get the sleep we need, and this leads to tiredness and even worse back pain the next day. It’s a negative spiral and one that can affect us mentally just as much as it can physically. 

As you know, this guide is all about starting with the basics and a good pillow will always help to get the ball rolling towards improvements. If you have pillows that are years old and feel lumpy or overly flat, you simply aren’t getting the support you need. Every night, the spine isn’t aligned, and the neck is pulled into uncomfortable positions. Without support and alignment, your pain will never get better. When left untreated, this has the potential to cause serious health problems. 

Of course, we aren’t saying that ALL back pain is caused by your sleeping habits. In order to identify the cause, we recommend speaking with a doctor. This being said, we can make an assumption today that your bedding is to blame if the pain is terrible as you wake and then improves as the day continues. While some need a new mattress, others need a more supportive pillow, and a handful will even need both. 

How Do Pillows Help?

Believe it or not, the difference between a good and poor choice of pillow is stark. With the right pillow, it’s possible to ease the pressure that comes with back pain. When sleeping, and even while sitting on the sofa or an office chair, poor support puts stress on the spine. Suddenly, the muscles tense up, the joints wear out, and we experience back pain. With cleverly-designed pillows, it’s possible to end this problem. 

The reason we want to focus on sleep is because we spend significant periods of our time on this planet in bed. Not only this, our time sleeping is critical for rebuilding energy, repairing the body, and healing. 

What do we mean by alignment when sleeping? Well, the idea is to keep the head at a similar level to your spine. When it’s pushed too high or allowed to sink too low, we’re in an unnatural alignment and we feel pain and discomfort in the morning. For many years, we thought it was best to pile several plump pillows under our heads. Now, we recognize that the all-important factor is alignment, and this can come with even a flat pillow. Today, we want to convey the idea of partnering with one, high-quality pillow; the best pillow for back pain. 

At this point, we should note that we’re talking about one pillow under the head. If you want extra support with a pillow between the legs or under the lower back, this is absolutely fine. As long as you’re still considering alignment, you’ll be good to go. 

In some cases, even those whose back pain isn’t caused by bedding can benefit from a brilliant pillow. For example, we’ve spoken to several people with arthritis and bulging discs. Despite their original pillow not causing these problems, they can still alleviate pressure with a more suitable one. 

Key Characteristics of a Pillow for Back Pain

How do you choose the best pillow for back pain? This is a fantastic question, and it’s one you’re likely to have after our example products above. Even after all these brilliant products, there are others and it might lead you to wonder which is right for you. With each manufacturer making claims about helping your back or neck pain, who do you believe? Can they really all help?

Firstly, we want to dispel the myth that you need to spend over the odds to get a ‘good’ pillow. You will come across expensive, luxury brands, but don’t be fooled into thinking you can’t find a more suitable pillow for less money. There are some amazing budget and home-brand options that give support in all the right areas. 

With this in mind, we want to break down all the different types of pillows, materials, shapes, lofts, and more in this section. From here, we’ll look into buying considerations. By the end of the next two sections, you should have everything you need to make the right decision on a pillow for back pain. 

Types of Pillows 

• Knee Pillows - As the name suggests, these are pillows designed to be placed between the knees while sleeping on our side. For side sleepers, you may not know that having one leg on top of the other actually pulls the spine out of position by pulling on the pelvis. With a pillow for support, your spine goes back into a neutral position and you ease the pressure somewhat. Alternatively, back sleepers can also use knee pillows to prop up the knees and flatten the spine. You feel relaxed, the spine is in a strong position, and you wake up with no tightness (or certainly less!). 

• Body Pillows - Longer than the norm, a body pillow will offer comfort and support for the whole body. Again, side sleepers have a buffer for the knees and support for the neck and head. As long as you don’t twist the spine by putting one leg over the pillow, you’ll enjoy a good night’s sleep. In the past, plenty of pregnant women have also found relief thanks to the abdominal support. 

• Neck Pillows - Sometimes referred to as a cervical or orthopedic pillow, a neck pillow fills the space between the mattress and neck while lying down. We get support, the correct alignment prevents cricks, and it’s especially helpful for those with upper spine or neck issues. 

• Lower Back Support Pillows - Although not for sleep, we do want to mention lower back support pillows since these are designed for cars, desks, and other places you sit for long periods. To avoid tenseness and muscle tightness, this support absorbs gravity’s pull rather than your spine. 

• Travel Pillows - Lastly, travel pillows have become extremely popular in recent years. Whether on a train, plane, or another mode of transport entirely, they’re shaped like a ‘U’ and give the neck and head some support while sitting upright. Rather than allowing the head to loll around, you have an opportunity to get comfortable and get some rest. 

Materials 

• Down - Taken from geese or ducks, down comes from the soft inner plumage but can also be padded out with outer feathers. As a soft and light material, down is breathable, allows for adjustments in density, and feels luxurious while lying down. However, the biggest problems come with the loss of shape and lack of support. 

• Buckwheat - With either outer shells or buckwheat hulls, an average pillow will hold between five and ten pounds which provides support, breathability, and an adjustable loft. If you have back pain, we urge you to be cautious because many people find them too firm. Also, they can be heavy and more expensive than other materials. 

• Feather - Rather than the inner plumage or down, feather pillows literally contain just the outer feathers of geese or ducks. As a result, they’re even lighter and have an adjustable loft. Since thin and thick pillows cause problems with back pain, going for a feather pillow is all about finding the right thickness. Unfortunately, those with certain allergies will also need to take care with feather pillows. These days, these are plenty of hypoallergenic products to help with this. 

• Down Alternative - Instead of using natural down, these alternative products will use polyester fibers. They have all the same benefits including their lightweight nature, adjustable loft, and affordable pricing. Yet, most people find them too soft and this is a problem when you’re trying to resolve back pain. 

• Memory Foam - Whether a solid piece of memory foam or in shredded form, this is often considered the most luxurious in terms of comfort. While starting firm, it softens with body heat and conforms to our shape. If shredded, we can adjust the loft to our liking while always receiving the support we need (and promoting healthy alignment). When a manufacturer uses the term ‘orthopedic’ as a description for a pillow, you can almost guarantee that it’s made of memory foam. 

• Polyester - In the past, we’ve seen people compare polyester with memory foam, and the former comes in shredded form. Alternatively, the polyester fibers are interlocked, and this keeps a pillow plump. Shredded versions have an adjustable loft, polyester is generally cheap, and they feel comfortable. On the other hand, polyester can’t compete with memory foam when it comes to pressure relief. Also, they tend to flatten easily and cause the sleeper to overheat. 

• Latex - As the final material, solid latex comes from rubber tree sap and they never seem to flatten. It’s not quite as good as memory foam or feather for back pain, but it will conform to your shape and offer some support as a pillow. There are two main downsides to latex pillows; they can be expensive and it’s not possible to adjust loft. 

Loft 

• Low Loft - Considered anything under three inches in thickness. 

• Medium Loft - Considered between three and five inches in thickness. 

• High Loft - Considered anything above five inches in thickness. 

If you keep seeing the word ‘loft’ without really understanding what it means, the term describes the height and thickness of a pillow. Don’t worry, we have a whole section on loft coming up after our final characteristic as we look at buying considerations. 

Shape 

• Curved - As the first of the two main shapes, you might want to consider a curved design to support the spine. Sometimes called orthopedic or cervical pillows, these curved designs will normally have a contoured surface with foam as the filling. To keep the neck in a good position, the head section will dip down after a raised neck. You get the spinal alignment you need, and you should get a good sleep along the way. 

• Even - For those with back pain, we normally suggest a curved pillow. This being said, we’re all unique and you might prefer a non-contoured surface. Normally made of feathers or shredded memory foam, you get targeted pressure relief as the pillow conforms to the neck and head. 

Buying Considerations and Choosing the Right Loft

Now we know the important characteristics of a good pillow for back pain, we’re going to go even deeper and get into the considerations YOU need to make to choose the right pillow. 

Sleeping Position 

First and foremost, how do you sleep? Typically speaking, side sleepers will need a pillow with medium or high loft because the gap between neck and mattress is quite high. With this in mind, back sleepers will be fine with a medium-loft pillow (they will get both softness and thickness with this option). 

What about stomach sleepers? Well, we recommend pillows with low loft because you don’t want to push the head up and strain the neck too much. When our alignment is off in this way, we can feel pain right across the body. For this reason, we’ve spoken to numerous back sleepers who choose to forgo a pillow completely. 

Mattress

When a mattress is made of latex or foam, they sink when we climb in. In this scenario, the space between mattress and neck is small and this lends itself to low-loft pillows. Alternatively, you might use a hybrid or innerspring mattress, and this has less responsiveness to our own movements and weight. Therefore, it’s best to choose a medium or high loft in a pillow. 

Pillow Position 

Do you sleep with your head in the middle of the pillow or do you like to just sneak your head onto the edge? If you go in the middle, a medium-loft pillow is best. If the pillow is only partially beneath the head, there’s a larger gap and you need a pillow with medium or high loft. 

Body Size and Dimensions 

We aren’t about to suggest pulling out a tape measure, but you do need to think about the size of your head and shoulders. For example, a high-loft pillow is probably best if you would consider your head to be larger than the average. If your head is comparatively smaller to most, go for a medium-loft or even a low-loft pillow. 

In a similar vein, we recommend pillows with a low or medium loft for anybody above 230 pounds. Why? Because they sink further into the mattress and this reduces the gap significantly between mattress and neck. If you weigh anything under 130 pounds, go for a high or medium-loft pillow because the sinking is less severe.

Next up, some people have a wide shoulder span, and this creates gaps between the mattress and head/neck. Therefore, this is where a high-loft pillow comes in. If your shoulders are quite narrow, you should be fine with a medium or low-loft pillow. 

We appreciate that this is lots of information to take in, and we also appreciate that the advice for your shoulder width, weight, and head size might contradict one another. In this scenario, don’t forget the adjustable loft that many pillows have these days. From one night to the next, add/remove the fill until you find a balance that works. You might even find that your needs differ between nights, and it only takes a few seconds to change the loft. 

Comfort 

We can talk all we want about all these different considerations, but one fact remains; you won’t sleep if you aren’t comfortable. When we have an uncomfortable pillow, we tend to compensate in our positioning, and this can be detrimental for back pain. As we’ve said before, experiment with products and don’t ever feel the need to compromise on comfort. 

Support 

Since we’re talking about the best pillow for back pain, support is an essential consideration. When testing and trying products, your head shouldn’t sink too low and you also shouldn’t have too much loft that your head is being pushed forward (and thus encouraging poor spinal alignment).

Cover 

With all the products we recommended previously, they all have covers that can go in the machine and this makes keeping the pillow clean easy. We aren’t saying you absolutely need to buy a product from our list but keep an eye on the products that do offer a hypoallergenic and washable cover and those that don’t. With the very best covers, they will also be breathable while helping to promote clear air by reducing; 

• Allergic materials 
• Dust attachment 
• Bacteria growth 
• Pet dander 

Other Considerations 

Although this won’t necessarily contribute to the comfort or support of your chosen pillow, these other factors are certainly worth remembering for your overall experience. 

• Safety - Is there a risk the pillow contains harmful chemicals, or does it have the CertiPUR-US certification for both performance and safety? Also, we recommend looking for hypoallergenic materials and pillows. 

• Pricing - If you remember from earlier, we said that it isn’t always necessary to dip into the most expensive end of the market. Instead, there are plenty that can be considered affordable. Don’t forget, a high-quality pillow is an alternative to spending lots on a new mattress. 

• Warranty - For us, good warranties should last at least two years. Otherwise, you might lose your investment on a pillow that doesn’t actually help with back pain. If possible, get a money-back guarantee because this removes the risk of the purchase entirely. Manufacturers are aware that their pillows won’t suit everybody, so take advantage of warranties and guarantees. If you finally find a pillow that performs night after night, you can sleep comfortably once again without using the warranty. 

• Durability - How frustrating is it to buy something that breaks or loses its condition soon after? With pillows, durability is key because the first thing to go will be support and comfort. Choose a pillow that lasts for some time and gives you peace of mind (this ties in with the warranty too, because this will protect you should something happen to go wrong early in the pillow’s life). 

Positioning Options for Your Pillow

This might sound like it’s going to be a short section, but there’s more than one position for a pillow if you’re experiencing back pain. As well as having a pillow under the head and encouraging a healthy spinal position, there could be opportunities to use the following four positions. 

Fetal Position (with Tucked Knees) 

To get into this position, lie on one side and tuck your knees in and up towards your chest. As you do this, you can also move your upper body forwards since this will release any disc pressure and expand the spine. If you get uncomfortable after a while, simply turn over onto the other side. 

Side Position (Pillow Between the Knees) 

In this position, the area between your buttocks and shoulder should be firmly on the mattress with the pillow placed nicely between the knees. By doing this, pain is alleviated as the pelvis, spine, and hips are all aligned. You might notice that small gaps form between the mattress and your side and this is where small pillows come in handy. 

Back Position (Pillow Under the Knees)

In order to release pressure points between the hips and neck, you can also lay on the back and put your pillow underneath the knees. This will straighten the spine, and you can get even more support under the lower back with a smaller pillow or rolled-up towel. 

Stomach Position (Pillow Under the Pelvis) 

We recommend trying to steer clear of stomach sleeping since it can make back pain worse, but you can make things slightly better with a pillow under the pelvis. 

FAQs and Other Considerations

To finish this guide, we want to address some of the most common questions as well as digging deeper into the buying considerations. 

How much does sleeping position affect pillow choice?

It’s very important, and the relationship between pillow and sleeping position is essential. While it’s normal to think about the neck and head with a pillow, we also need to consider our overall alignment and how this affects the chest, spine, and lower back. Some will tell you to change sleeping position, but we don’t believe you should have to change what’s comfortable. Instead, you can make a change with your pillow. 

• Back Sleepers - The spine has a natural ’S’ shape, and this is pulled out of position when we sleep on our backs. Therefore, we can realign the spine with support under the lower back. 

• Side Sleepers - With one leg on top of the other, the spine is often pulled downwards which is why a pillow between the knees and/or under the side can help. 

• Stomach Sleepers - This is the position with the most stress on the spine; with a pillow under the pelvis, as seen previously, the spine is placed into a more natural position. Under the head, you should try either no pillows or a flat pillow. 

What if I have arthritis or disabilities?

As we all know, arthritis leads to aching, pain, and discomfort in the joints. First things first, we recommend talking with your doctor before making any changes if you have a health concern. As well as a wide range of pillows and mattresses, doctors will know about other products that can contribute to a comfortable night. 

Which is the best material for back pain?

This guide is all about the best pillow for back pain, but there’s no single answer to this; it all depends on your needs as an individual. This being said, we can make general recommendations. Out of all the materials we’ve discussed here today, memory foam is perhaps the best for muscle spasms or back pain. Since it conforms to the body, you get a tailored experience every single night. 

Elsewhere, some people speak very highly of buckwheat, so this could be worth a consideration. As a natural solution, it’s a little firmer than memory foam and comes with more support. No matter how frequently you use it, this material will never lose shape or life. 

Is a doctor required for my pillow decision?

Considering that you have a back problem, we would never steer you away from professional advice. If you already have a couple of products in mind, this is even better because they can take a look and give opinions as to whether they would help or not. If you believe or know that your back pain is caused by tiredness, excessive exercise, or even a lack of stretching, you don’t necessarily need a medical opinion before testing a pillow. 

Will a pillow help me to deal with acute or chronic pain?

If you already have an issue with chronic pain, we assume you’re in constant communication with a medical professional and you’ve been given advice on how to deal with this pain. Often, spinal alignment helps with back pain because it relieves stress and pressure; as we’ve seen throughout this guide, pillows can help here.

For acute pain sufferers, it might be that you need that extra support while recovering from an injury. Again, a pillow can help with comfort as you heal by aligning the spine and keeping the body in a natural position. You get the rest you need and hopefully wake up in the mornings with less pain than you otherwise would. 

How do I reduce back pain as a side sleeper?

If you like to sleep on your side, we highly recommend full-body pillows because they keep the body in a position that encourages healthy alignment and expansion. In order words, you aren’t unnecessarily putting pressure on swollen discs. Also, full-body pillows help with breathing because we tend to hug them and open the body (hugging a pillow also feels great!). 

Will a pillow help if I experience headaches/migraines or snoring?

Did you know that poor spinal alignment can actually cause migraines and snoring through increased pressure? With this in mind, your body needs more support and a good place to start is with bedding. We’ve focused heavily on getting a pillow for back pain, but your mattress is just as important. Consider the age, condition, and material of your mattress. Is it helping or hindering?

Summary 

Thank you for joining us, you should now have a more complete knowledge of pillows and how they can help with back pain. How do you find the best pillow for back pain? We recommend the following steps; 

• Consider yourself, sleeping habits, body weight, etc. 
• Find a product that matches your needs. 
• Test different products and play around with lofts. 

Also, the internet is a wonderful resource so read reviews and ensure you’re happy with a product before spending any money. With the right pillow, you can relieve tension and start reducing the back pain you experience both at night and during the day. Good luck!