Core Products Soothe-A-Ciser Pillow - Blue

Helpful device for performing the McKensie neck extension in a lying position. A backward neck stretch may not always be called the McKensie extension but its the same action by any name. Its a common technique prescribed by Physical Therapists and Chiropractors to reverse the forward lean of the head, which if uncorrected can lead to neck and spinal problems.I had been performing this neck extension lying flat on the floor. It was great for my neck this way, but my lower back was always stressed when I came out of the stretch after 10 minutes or so.When I saw this device on Amazon I immediately thought that perhaps the shoulder support would enable me to get the neck benefit without stress on the lower back. That's exactly how its worked out and I'm glad I purchased it. I'm 5' 5" and weigh 155. I'm not suggesting it won't work on someone larger but some of the other reviews have suggested that so I thought to include that for reference.

a bit disappointed, it's not the miracle device i thought it might be. I have chronic stiff/sore neck & pinched nerve pain in my shoulder blade that may be coming from a slight degeneration in my c4-c5 area. I've been having varying degrees of pain over the past year and never seem to get permanent relief from anything i try-but i'm always out looking for a new product to test out hoping it "cures" me. I used this sooth-a-ciser for the last 2 day to stretch my neck and back out, and i found that after some adjusting if i get in just the right position i can get a stretch going that feels a little bit like the manual traction i had at the physical therapist's office only nowhere near that great. because the foam is very hard so it kind of hurts the back of my neck/base of my skull. So I can't stay on it for too long, it's just too darn stiff & hard. I also notice that after a while my scalp feels numb, honestly i am not sure if it is a good sign and happening because my neck is being stretched out, or merely the hardness of the foam cutting off my circulation after several minutes.

I have what my chiropractor tells me is degenerative spinal disorder...or a "reverse curve" of the cervical spine as shown in the X-rays. I used to work all day in front of a computer for several years which probably created/exacerbated the problem. I also have TMJ issues (not severe).To try to coax the cervical spine to curve the right way again and relieve some neck pain, 2 chiropractors have suggested that I roll a towel and put it underneath my neck while lying down on my back on the floor for several minutes. Although this worked OK, I wanted something that might work even better.I looked at various options on Amazon, read through many reviews and ordered two products that looked promising - this Soothe-a-Ciser Cervical Neck & Shoulder Reliever and the Omni Cervical Relief Pillow (Custom Craftworks Omni Cervical Relief Pillow).I've been using both for over a month now, and I definitely prefer the Soothe-a-Ciser over Omni. With Soothe-a-Ciser, I feel a strong "push" against the back of my neck. As you can see in the product picture, your head hangs over the top of the pillow, acting as a weight against the back of the neck and allowing your cervical spine to stretch. In fact, you may want to try it for a very short time for the first few sessions. In my eagerness, I rested 15 minutes on it for the first 2 days and my muscles were absolutely sore! After a week of rest, I shortened the length of time on it and worked my way up to using it for longer periods.With the Omni Pillow, the contour of the neck is too soft and not high enough to have much support...a rolled-up towel behind my neck feels much better. As other reviewers have noted, the depression for the head is not nearly deep enough. The back of my head is on the flat side if anything and the pillow is *still* not deep enough. I can barely feel the hump of the pillow behind my neck. Although it is a comfortable pillow, it does not do much for my neck or shoulders.I definitely do feel a difference after using the Soothe-a-Ciser, so I will continue using it. Hopefully it will correct my cervical spine back into its natural curve. I have stopped using the Omni pillow as it really doesn't seem to do anything much other than being a pleasant pillow to lie on.

I bought this based off the promising reviews thinking if it helps even a little it would be worth it. Its helped much more than I anticipated! I have cervical spondylosis and have several disc in my neck which have fused together causing constant pain and stiffness. Ive found that this pillow is perfect for "decompression" which is the term my physical therapist used to describe the position it places you. I can literally feel my shoulders. Neck, and back return to their intended positions once I lie on it. I have found it to be effective in retraining my muscles to conform to better posture which has also contributed to my pain and discomfort. Im thinking of buying a a second one for the office. I could not be more pleased with this pillow. Im sure it wont help everyone with neck issues but ffor me it has proven effective in a short period of time.

I'm not saying this would be the case for everyone, but for me, this was an extreme disappointment. Rather than helping my neck, it made it worse, and caused muscle spasms and pretty severe pain, even up to a day or 2 after I would use it. I have spinal stenosis and bulging discs in c4, c5, and c6. So maybe this just wasn't a good idea for me personally. The reason I bought it was due to a lot of positive reviews where people said it even saved them trips to the chiropractor. Unfortunately, this was not the case for me.

I had thought this would provide much more support than it does. It isn't uncomfortable, but it doesn't offer any more stretching or pain relief than laying at the edge of your bed and letting your head hang over the side. It's a nice cushion... but nothing really therapeutic.