Pillow for shoulder pain: what side sleepers should look for
A pillow doesn't treat shoulder pain. But it can help keep your head and neck at a suitable height when you sleep on your side, so your shoulder isn't put under extra strain.
Can a pillow help with shoulder pain at all?
Shoulder pain has many possible causes. The pillow isn't one of them, and it doesn't replace treatment. Anyone who promises you that a pillow will make shoulder pain disappear is promising too much.
What a suitable pillow can do is limited, but not unimportant: it helps keep your head and cervical spine in line and gives your shoulder room. That's the basis for a sleeping position in which you aren't working against your own pillow.
Why does pillow height matter so much when you sleep on your side?
When you sleep on your side, part of your body weight rests on your shoulder. The pillow fills the gap between your head and the mattress. That gap is different for everyone, because it depends mainly on shoulder width.
- The pillow is too low: Your head tilts towards the mattress. Your shoulder then carries more than it should, and your neck sits at an angle.
- The pillow is too high: Your neck bends to the other side. Here too, your head and cervical spine aren't in line.
The right height lies somewhere in between, and it can't be stated as a general figure. We describe how to tell whether a pillow is too high or too low in our guide Pillow too high or too low?. You'll find more about side sleeping in general at The right pillow for side sleepers.
Which pillow for shoulder pain suits side sleepers?
An answer like “the pillow with height X” would be unreliable. Which pillow suits you depends on several things that are different for everyone:
- Shoulder width: It determines how big a gap the pillow has to fill when you sleep on your side.
- Neck circumference and neck length: They determine how your head and neck rest on the pillow.
- Sleeping position: If you mostly sleep on your side, you need a different height from someone who sleeps on their back or stomach.
- Mattress: Whether it's soft, medium or firm changes how deeply your shoulder and body sink in.
The material alone doesn't settle the question. A memory foam pillow can work well if the height is right, and poorly if it isn't. The same goes for any other material. You'll find an overview of the properties in our guide Memory foam pillows.
If you mainly want to know which pillow suits you overall, Which pillow is the best? will help.
Is there a test-winning pillow for shoulder pain?
Anyone looking for a test winner is hoping for a simple answer. There isn't one, for two reasons.
First, even a test winner doesn't treat shoulder pain. Second, a pillow is rated in a test under specific conditions, not on your body.
A test winner doesn't automatically suit your shoulder width. If your shoulders are wider or narrower than those of the test participants, the same pillow can be too high or too low for you. Tests can offer some guidance. Whether a pillow suits you when you sleep on your side only shows up with your own measurements.
How does Pillowise determine the right pillow size?
Pillowise is a made-to-measure memory foam pillow. I developed it together with United Comfort Industries, who have been making ergonomic sleep products in their own factory in the Netherlands since 1990. It started with a question from my practice: which pillow can I recommend to a patient with neck or shoulder complaints? I couldn't find a method that suited every body, so I developed one myself.
The size is based on three measurements:
| Measurement point | How to measure |
|---|---|
| Shoulder width | Around the curve of your back, with the tape measure resting loosely |
| Neck circumference | Once all the way around your neck |
| 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 uses these to choose the right size. There are six sizes, each with its own colour: pink, orange, green, blue, red and purple.
The Pillowise pillow measures 55 x 35 cm. The core is made of 100% memory foam. The cover has a moisture-regulating top layer made of Tencel and can be washed in the washing machine at 40 °C. The materials are certified to STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX.
Our guide Measuring shoulder width explains exactly how to measure your shoulder width.
How do you find your size?
There are two ways to determine your size.
- Get measured: At a Pillowise stockist, your size is determined using the Pillowise tape measure.
- Measure yourself: With PillowScan at scan.pillowise.com, you can determine your size yourself, using your phone or a QR code. You'll also find the tool on the Taking measurements page.
Pillowise isn't available through its own online shop at pillowise.com. You can get the pillow from a stockist, which you'll find on the Stockists page.
And what if your neck bothers you more than your shoulder?
Your shoulder and neck are closely connected, and sometimes it's hard to say exactly where the pain begins. If your neck is more of an issue, read on in our guide Pillow for neck tension. If the pain is more in your shoulder blade, you'll find more background in the guide Shoulder blade pain: can your pillow play a role?. If your hand also falls asleep at night fairly often, read more in the guide Hand falls asleep at night: can your pillow play a role?.
When should you have shoulder pain checked by a doctor?
A pillow is no substitute for a diagnosis. Have your shoulder pain checked by a doctor if any of these apply:
A doctor can establish the cause and decide on treatment. We don't give advice on that. The pillow only becomes a topic afterwards, and even then only as part of your sleeping position.
So: do you need a different pillow for shoulder pain?
Not necessarily. If you lie comfortably on your side without your head tilting or your neck bending, and your pain has been checked by a doctor, you don't need to change anything.
If, on the other hand, you notice that your pillow is too high or too low when you sleep on your side, it's worth getting measured. The pillow doesn't treat pain. But it can help keep your head and neck at a suitable height, and that depends on your shoulder width, not on a test result.
Find your pillow size
Three measurements determine the size that suits your body.
Work out your size yourself or find a stockist near you
Thijs van der Hilst, physiotherapist (non-practising)
Inventor of Pillowise
