We all know that feeling when we can’t turn our head because we feel strain or an agonizing pain in our neck. It hits us all at some point in our lives. It’s unpleasant, to say the least. A simple thing such as a cold draft on our exposed neck is enough to aggravate the discomfort in the muscles. In some cases, the cause can be more severe like an injury, or maybe we lifted something heavy in a wrong way.
Like the spine, the neck requires the best support during the night because it has the arduous task of supporting the head. The spinal column does not end at the shoulder level – we need support and comfort for the entire body.
Whatever the reason for your collar throbbing, whether it be by cause of an accident or a pulled muscle, the top-grade mattress can help mitigate the agony. And let’s be real, we spend about one-third of our lives in bed so why not invest in something that does us good.
We aim to present you with the best-reviewed beds on the market for neck pain. To help you better, we will together also discover some different types of neckline discomfort and what causes them.
How a Bed Can Relieve Neck Discomfort
Spine Alignment
Spinal alignment is the most important consideration when you are in bed. The spine carries the natural weight of our body from the hips up to the head. If the spine is not aligned correctly on the mattress, it can lead to soreness and more often than not that involves the upper spine as well.
If you feel discomfort in the vertebrae for extended periods of time, it can flow over to other parts of the body quite rapidly. Another thing is that the central nervous system runs along the spine – if it is not in proper alignment, it can lead to headaches, back and neck aching and even irritable bowel syndrome.
Getting the correct spinal alignment in bed depends on your sleeping position. Side sleeper (click here) needs hip support, and the shoulders must be allowed to sink into the mattress. For back sleepers, it is the buttocks that need sinkage, and the upper back needs support. For the stomach – the natural arc of back must be aligned on the mattress (go to our belly sleepers guide here).
Pressure Points
Pressure points are the areas of the human body that come into contact with the mattress when you are lying in bed. Again, as with spinal alignment, these points of contact depend on the position you are in when you are in bed.
If you are on your back, the heels, buttocks, elbows, shoulders, and head have the highest amount of pressure exerted on them. On your side, the heels, thigh, hip, the elbow should and ear. And lastly, if you lie on your front, the toes, knees, thighs, ribcage and any side of the face are most impacted.
Now, you can really see how important the best mattress is for your wellbeing. If you make the wrong choice, you might end up with neck pain or aches in other areas of your body. A good bed takes the pressure off of the points as mentioned above, relieving the joints and muscles.
Types of Neck Problems
Acute Vs. Chronic
Every second adult has neck pain at least once in his or her life that includes a stiffness or pain on the shoulder or arms.
As we age, wear-and-tear takes its toll; in technical jargon, it is called a degenerative change in your cervical spine. Injury, fibromyalgia syndrome, rheumatism, and skeletal maladjustment can also be the cause. Then, or for the first time, complaints such as pain and limitations in movements of the neck are possible.
The discomfort can be differentiated into two types. Acute neck pain that can last up to three weeks. When it flares up again after a symptom-free month, even repeatedly, it is referred to as recurrent or relapsing pain.
If neck pain persists for more than three months, it is considered chronic. As with a backache or lower back ache, doctors also differentiate between neck smarting, whether it has a specific cause or whether it is non-specific.
Axial
Neck discomfort is a common phenomenon that affects almost everyone at least once during his or her lifetime. The symptoms can have many triggers, but serious damage is rare. Instead, in most cases, it is relatively harmless tension or cramping musculature. To a certain extent, sufferers can often help themselves.
If the symptoms last longer or occur in parallel symptoms such as paralysis or numbness, a doctor should be consulted immediately.
Physicians distinguish different forms of neck pain: If it occurs locally, we speak of axial strain. If it radiates along nerve tracts, for example, in back of your head or in the arm, it is ‘radicular pain.’
The causes can be many. Generally speaking though, if discomfort is localized as in case of axial pain, then the situation can be contained even though it feels very unpleasant. The most important thing is that the central nervous system along the spine is not affected.
Radiculopathy
Radiculopathy is damage or irritation to a nerve root in spinal cord. In addition to pain, emotional loss and paralysis symptoms are evident. Triggers are often herniated discs, which also include changes to the skeletal spine and inflammation.
Radiculopathy is generally referred to in medicine as the cause of damage or irritation to a nerve root. If several nerve roots are affected, this is called poly-radiculopathy.
Radiculopathies can be classified according to the height of your spinal cord. If nerve roots in an area of an cervical spine are affected, one speaks of cervical radiculopathy. Complaints, involving the lower nerve roots are referred to as lumbar or sacral radiculopathy.
The lumbar area and sacral area are significantly more frequently affected than the cervical region of the spinal cord. A root syndrome at the height of the thoracic spine (thoracic radiculopathy) is also possible, but relatively rare. Radiculopathy can be acute or chronic.
Myelopathy
Myelopathy is damage to the spinal cord. This often occurs in an area of an cervical spine. But other regions of the spine can also be affected.
Very often, herniated discs that exert pressure on the spinal cord are the cause of myelopathy. In addition, tumors and so-called spinal canal or vascular stenosis also cause myelopathy. Other reasons may include radiotherapy in the context of cancer and circulatory disorders.
Depending on where the myelopathy occurs and which spinal cord structures have been affected, different complaints occur. The affected areas tingle and feel numb and are generally less sensitive than usual. Paralysis and muscle weakness often arises. These symptoms sometimes also show up on the arms and legs.
Damage to the spinal cord leads to significant limitations of mobility. Particularly tricky are activities involving fine motor skills – for example, threading a thread into a needle. Also, lifting and carrying heavy objects can also be difficult due to myelopathy.
Other Body Pain Conditions
Hip
Hip agony is a painful sensation in an area of one or both hip joints. The discomfort can be acute or develop into a chronic hip pain lasting over several months or years.
You suddenly start climbing stairs, jogging or get up in a weird way in the morning or at night in bed, and the agony is there – read our mattresses for hip pain sufferers. Hip problems are usually associated with older people, but it can occur at any age.
The hips are the area of an human body where the pelvis and legs meet. The central element is the hip joints, where the spherical head of the femur lies in the socket of the pelvic bone (pelvis).
The hip joints allow us to walk and stand upright and carry about 60 percent of our body weight, sometimes, even more, when racing and jumping. Accordingly, hip throbbing arises because of natural wear-and-tear, injuries and diseases of the joints are also not uncommon.
Back
Back smarting is one of the most common complaints that affect us. After the flu, it is the one reason why we go to the doctor. A new mattress can help – see our pics if you are a back sleeper.
Mostly backache is harmless and often spontaneously disappears after a few days and without treatment. That’s why many of us do not seek out a doctor for brief back pain episodes. While some sufferers only occasionally suffer from back pain, in others it appears over and over again or for more extended periods’ of time. Chronic low back pain is when the symptoms persist for more than twelve weeks.
Back aching can have both physical and psychological causes (e.g., stress) – often these components affect one another. In many cases, simply too little exercise in combination with weak back and abdominal muscles is the cause of back pain. Unilateral postures, for example, in the workplace, can promote back pain. Another possible consequence is muscle tension in the back.
Are you sleeping on your back and have a pain? Read our top mattresses picks for lower back pain sufferers.
Shoulder
Shoulder discomfort can severely restrict freedom of movement. Often a so-called impingement syndrome is behind the symptoms. But also acute injuries and natural wear-and-tear cause shoulder soreness. Often a long-term consistently applied physiotherapy is necessary to strengthen the muscles – in many cases, surgery can be avoided.
Shoulder pain can have a variety of causes. The shoulder is the most flexible joint in the human body. The shoulder muscles, tendons, and ligaments keep the head of the humerus in the correct position. If these perform their task inadequately, shoulder pain is often the result.
Shoulder discomfort is predominantly called soft tissue hurt in the area of the shoulder joint. The bones are not affected. The complaints arise in the following areas:
- muscles
- tendons,
- joint capsule,
- bursa and
- synovial fluid (Synovia).
Shoulder soreness severely restricts the activities that one wants to pursue, both in everyday life with regular movements such as putting on a jacket, but also at work or in sports.
Have a shoulder discomfort? Highest Rated Side Sleeper Beds For Shoulder Pain
Is a Pillow a Budget-Friendly Alternative?
The pillow is often forgotten when we are thinking about sprucing up our bedding. As with all things concerning the bedroom, it is wise to read the reviews so that you have the information you require.
If you suffer from neck ache, a cushion is a viable option to alleviate the discomfort. Often a pillow will align the upper spinal cord so that your head comes to a rest and is well supported. Also, you can purchase special medical cushions with indents that apply support consequently reducing pressure to the neck.
Even if this may appear like the budget-friendly alternative, nothing can replace the best mattress. The entire body requires relief on the pressure points and buoyancy so that the spine is aligned in a straight line no matter which position you sleep in. For the best solution, the optimal way forward is to buy a bed for the pelvis and spinal support and the pillow to aid the neck.
Top Mattress for Neck Pain Reviewed
Nectar – Outstanding for Neck Relief
Features:
- High-end CertiPur-US certified materials
- Forever warranty for the mattress
- Free shipping throughout the country
Our Ratings: 9.6/10
The Nectar mattress is outstanding for relief and support. This mattress will help you on the way to reducing the aching. After a few nights on the high-grade memory foam sourced from the safest and most eco-friendly materials, you should start to feel a lot better.
Two layers of gel memory foam allow for optimal cooling and breathability during the night. Also, the bedding surface adapts and molds to the shape of your body no matter what position you sleep in. The contouring is excellent for neck support if you suffer from soreness in that area. The mattress adds pressure and the perfect amount of sinkage where it is needed.
It is like sleeping on a cloud as they boast on their website. Another thing we liked is the Tencel cooling cover. It is an added bonus to the mattress that works in concert with the cooling gel within the bed. Finally, movement transference is kept to a minimum so that your partner’s activities won’t disturb you.
Want to see how their cooling get works? Read our complete analysis and overview.
Avocado – Advanced Support
Features:
- 100 % natural latex, wool, and cotton
- Top rated mattress in US
- GreenGuard Gold Certified
- Button-tufted by hand
Our Ratings: 9.5/10
We just had to review this mattress. Avocado bed provides advanced support in the most eco-friendly and luxurious manner possible. The company uses no synthetic material in making of its bedding, and they have the certificates to prove it.
The latex is sourced from trees by using the Dunlop process. The material itself is not only environmentally friendly, but it also offers extreme durability – you will literally be using this mattress for years. Natural latex is a high-performance material that provides support and elasticity so that your body shape is mirrored by the sleeping surface. It’s great if you have pains to the upper spine.
Another attribute we liked about the Avocado mattress is the optimal breathability. You won’t get hot and bother while sleeping on this bed. Joma New Zealand wool and certified organic cotton take care of moisture and offer supreme comfort. In concert, the cover acts as a barrier to the latex interior.
You can go to our complete overview of this natural model here.
Layla – Perfect Comfort
Features:
- Optimal support for neck and back
- Copper-infused interior for a more refreshing sleep
- 120-night sleeping trial
- One mattress two levels of firmness
Our Ratings: 9.4/10
The Layla mattress delivers perfect comfort thanks to the infused copper inside the bed. Also, copper helps against inflammation, which is why many people wear copper bracelets on their wrist. The metal is also a super-conductor of thermal heat. In alliance with the cooling gel throughout the mattress, moisture, and body heat is whisked away for a cooler night’s rest.
There’s nothing better than having the right body heat for alleviating upper spinal pain.
With the Layla, you have two sleeping surfaces for the high-level of pressure and support. It’s great for your spine. It’s like getting a custom-made bed. All you have to do is try out which side best suits your needs. Then, you can let the memory foam works its magic. You will wake up feeling refreshed and hopeful in time pain-free.
The Layla mattress is made with no ozone depleters or any other flammable or damaging metals. The company makes memory foam eco-friendly and safe.
Want more info? Click here for a full overview.
Our Final Thoughts
Any discomfort whether to the pelvis, back, hips or neck can make daily living a bane. But you don’t have to live like that.
The first matter for consideration is to take what you know about yourself like, for example, your preferred sleeping position and move on from there. Your following choices should be about getting the best mattress so that the back, hips, and pelvis are supported.
We gave you our favorites in the reviews ate beginning of the article, so you have a good idea where to start and know which is mattress is the best for neck pain sufferers. Just be aware that if the pain is chronic, you should seek out a medical professional.