Anyone suffering from occipital neuralgia knows how difficult it can be to diagnose and therefore how difficult it can be to receive proper treatment. The symptoms are so similar to so many other medical conditions determining the exact problem can be a hard road for even the best doctors. The key is patience. Occipital neuralgia is manageable and in many cases a full recovery is entirely possible.
For a lot of ON sufferers, finding a suitable pillow can make a huge difference to their symptoms.
A good pillow for occipital neuralgia should be able to do 3 key things:
-Reduce tension on the occipital nerves
-Keep your head in a stable position while you sleep, to prevent it from rolling into an irritation position
-Be strong enough to support your head for the whole night
In this blogpost, we’ll be comparing 3 of the top sellers (based on Google results for ‘Occipital Neuralgia Pillow’):
–The Purple Pillow ($109; available at purple.com)
–Arc4life Traction Pillows ($120; available at amazon.com)
-The Occipital Neuralgia Pillow ($49.99; available at Clevive.com)
The Purple Pillow Review ($109; available at purple.com)
Made from an elastic material, the Purple Pillow scores highly for breathability. And it maybe be helpful for some people with ON. However the shape of the pillow means that it could put tension on your occipital nerves and lead to your head rolling into awkard positions while you sleep.
PROS:
Very lightweight
Allows air to flow through it
CONS:
Doesn’t reduce tension on the occipital nerves
Has a grid texture which most people will find uncomfortable
Arc4life Traction Pillow Review ($120; available at amazon.com)
The Arc4Life has been for sale for a long time – and it’s popular for people with many neck problems. The design offers some support so it can reduce pressure on the occipital nerves but for many people – the pillow will be too soft and weak to be useful for Occipital Neuralgia.
PROS:
Reduces tension on the occipital nerves
Keeps your head in a stable position during sleep
CONS:
Made from a weak material which may not be strong enough to support some people’s heads
Overpriced at more the double the cost of similar cushions
The Occipital Neuralgia Pillow Review ($49.99; available at Clevive.com)
The Occipital Neuralgia pillow was designed from the beginning to address the needs of people with this condition. It is strong enough to support your head and shoulders, and allows you to divert tension away from your occipital nerves.
PROS:
Reduces tension on the occipital nerves
Keeps your head in a stable position during sleep
Made from a premium memory foam which is strong enough to support your head
CONS:
Uses memory foam, which can take a week to get used to for some people coming from normal pillows.
Ultimately, all 3 of these pillows are superior to a standard pillow you could buy from IKEA.
However, for people with Occipital Neuralgia- there are specific criteria that a pillow needs to meet. The only pillow that meets all of these needs is the Clevive Occipital Neuralgia Pillow.