Shoulder impingement: exercises and the role of your pillow

Which exercises suit shoulder impingement depends on the cause, and a doctor or physiotherapist should decide. So you won't find a list of exercises here, but you will find an honest answer on what a pillow can and cannot do for your shoulder.

Why is there no list of exercises here?

As a pillow maker, we are not practitioners. Shoulder pain when moving your arm overhead or when lying on your side is often called “impingement”. There can be a range of causes behind it, and not every exercise suits every cause. Exercises come after an examination, not before. If your symptoms persist or wake you at night, please have them assessed by a doctor. That is also where you will get exercises that suit your shoulder.

What can a pillow do for your shoulder?

If you sleep on your side, the weight of your shoulder and upper body rests on the mattress. The pillow bridges the gap between your head and the mattress. If it is too low, your head sinks down. If it is too high, your head is pushed upwards. When the height is right, your head and cervical spine are in line, and your shoulder has room.

A suitable pillow is not a cure and does not replace exercises or treatment. It simply makes sure your sleeping position doesn't get in your way any further. You can read more in Pillows for side sleepers and Pillow too high or too low.

How does Pillowise determine the right height?

Shoulder width, neck circumference and neck length are different for everyone. Then there are your sleeping position and your mattress. That is why Pillowise takes measurements at three points:

• Shoulder width: around the curve of your back, with the tape measure kept loose.
• Neck circumference: once all the way around.
• Neck length: from the bottom of your ear to the tip of your shoulder.

Your sleeping position (back, side, stomach) and your mattress (soft, medium, firm) are also taken into account. An algorithm then selects the right pillow from six sizes, each with its own colour: pink, orange, green, blue, red and purple.

The method comes from physiotherapy. Thijs van der Hilst, who specialised in neck and shoulder complaints, could not recommend a suitable pillow to his patients with neck complaints, so he developed a measuring method himself. You can be measured either at a stockist with the Pillowise tape measure or by yourself with PillowScan.

So: do you need to change anything?

If you lie comfortably on your pillow, you don't need to change anything. If you are unsure about the height, for example because you sleep on your side, measuring is a sensible step. For exercises for shoulder complaints, a professional remains your first port of call.

Find your size: Measure yourself or find a stockist near you.

Thijs van der Hilst, physiotherapist (non-practising)
Inventor of Pillowise