Quick Answer
I think head support is the missing piece in cervical fusion recovery. This is my own theory, built from two surgeries, years of pillow testing and the pillow mapping data I'm collecting. I'm not a doctor, and this isn't medical advice. Talk to your surgeon before you change your pillow or your sleep setup.
My Theory: Head Support Is the Missing Key in Cervical Fusion Recovery
I think head support is the missing key in our recovery and I have set out to prove this theory. I am on a mission to show the world that when we have proper head support after cervical fusion, we have much greater potential of a smoother recovery.
What you are about to read is my own theory and from my own experiences. I am not a doctor and I don't claim to have that knowledge. What I do have is data...data I am acquiring when I do pillow mapping, when I have conversations with people, and from my own surgical experiences.
I know there's something they're missing there, I intend to find out if it is and then figure out how to share that information with the world.
The Idea Behind My Theory of Head Support After Cervical Surgery
My First ACDF in 2021 and the Pain I Didn't Expect
After my first ACDF in 2021, I had a pretty normal recovery, or so I thought. It was painful and I can remember crying from the seized muscles in my shoulder area and upper traps. The scar was so tiny on the front of my neck that in my mind it didn't match the pain. I remember trying to get comfortable even after that surgery, and for many years after. No pillow seemed to work for very long, if even at all.
When My Fusion Failed
My fusion failed within a year. My ACDF C3-7....Failed!
Was it my fault? Did I do something wrong? It had to be my pillow, I thought, because I never could get comfortable when I laid down.
What I Found When I Researched Pillows and Head Support
I began researching everything and anything about sleep, head support, and pillows. And what I found shocked me. The research is already out there, read that again, and it shows that pillows compress under the weight of your head, that your head can sink back during the night, and that your neck can get strained because of that. Our head weighs 10-12 lbs. Our neck? Well, we know how fragile it can be, but then when you mix in someone who has had a surgery, or has arthritis, or degeneration, or an injury....now imagine that neck holding 10-12 lbs!
So, I started researching that even more, because I knew there was a correlation between no head support when we sleep and neck strain and headaches and stiffness when we wake up.
Testing Every Pillow With an 11-Pound Dummy Head
I used a "dummy head" that my husband filled with 11 lbs of lead. I tested every single pillow on the market that I could get my hands on. The viral ones on TT? Yup, those too!
They all had something in common...no head support, no true head support beneath your head when you lie on it. Because I also learned that the amount of support, the size of the support, the type of support all mattered, but it also mattered differently based on the individual person's needs or condition of their spine.
So, I spent the next 3 years figuring out what we could do to add support to the pillow beneath our head so our spine could be supported enough to actually rest at night.
The Crown Lift Was Built in Recovery and Refined Through Another Surgery
My failed fusion progressively got worst through this which made my research into pillows even more dire for me. I was walking around with a screw in the disc space somewhere around C4 and another one was backing out. If you're curious about my myelogram and spine testing story, read that in my blog too. That was to this day the most awful experience I've ever been through, and I would take another major surgery before a myelogram anyday!
Once I experimented enough with "head support" in my pillow, I began handing these out to everyone I knew. I would ask them to try it, give me their honest feedback about what works but most important, what didn't work. I wanted to know why a six foot 200 pound man liked a certain type of support more as well as why a five foot two woman. I wanted to know what worked for some and not for others. Then I asked what would make it better for them. I listened, then I went back to cutting and figuring and studying.
The result of all of that, years worth of asking and refiguring, is what you see today in the Crown Lift System.
As My Spine Declined, I Became Obsessed With Understanding the Pillow Conundrum
In and out of surgeons offices and specialists for years had become my norm. My original surgeon was gone and I needed a new one. The problem was there wasn't one in my hospital network! So, I had to wait until I could change to a different hospital system, that's a whole other story about our broken medical system.
Becoming Patient Zero
As time went on, I continued refining my product. I also continued expanding the research. I soon found that every single pillow let my head drop back and caused me pain. The only time I wasn't in pain in the morning was when I woke up after using my head support in my pillow. Yes, I became, as T Swift would say, patient zero. I would purposely not use support to see how I felt the next morning, and it always resulted in pain and stiffness.
I would ask the people that were using my prototype what they thought and they would almost always agree they felt the same way. I did have a few people who did not and I took their thoughts into careful consideration and then I ended up inventing the pillowcase that now comes with the system. But, that's later in the story.
Why I Don't Trust Pillow Reviews From Creators
I watched pillow companies blow up on social media and cringed when I would order their "amazing pillow" that the creators raved about. I already knew just by their videos what I would find when I put it to the test. I'm just going to put this out there...creators are there to make money. There may be some who actually use the products and do honest reviews, but for the most part, they're all ordering these products and receiving them for free or at a discount, and then getting paid when someone places an order. You with your cervical surgery looming doesn't matter to them. Me with my failed spinal fusion didn't matter to them. Honestly, we should know better anyway.
What Chiropractors and Physical Therapists Suggested
Then there's the chiropractors and physical therapists, too. I would try what they suggested, I mean they're professionals...but again, they're trying to feed their family like everyone else is.
Why I Wanted Something Adjustable
My point here is simple...everyone has an opinion and those letters behind their name doesn't necessarily make theirs a better one than the person who's been in your shoes and woke up from that anesthesia like you. That's another reason why I wanted to create something that could be adjusted by each individual person to fit their needs.
And don't even get me started on those adjustable fill pillows....
What the Research Says About Pillow Height and Head Support
I'm not a doctor, so I wanted to see what published research says about pillows and the neck. Here's what I found, and what it doesn't cover.
Your Head Weighs About 10 to 12 Pounds
Mayo Clinic Health System puts the weight of the average adult head at approximately 10 to 12 pounds. That's the load your neck is holding up whenever you lie down and your head rests on a pillow. Read it from Mayo Clinic Health System.
Pillows Compress, and Height Matters
A 2021 review in the journal Healthcare looked at how pillow height affects the neck. It found that pillow height affects the alignment of the cervical spine. It also noted that a pillow deforms under the weight of the head, so its height may not be enough to keep the neck aligned, and extra height may be needed to make up for what the pillow loses once it compresses. Read the review.
Pillow Height Changes Pressure and Alignment
A 2016 study in PeerJ tested different pillow heights. As the height changed, so did the pressure on the head and neck and the alignment of the cervical spine. Read the study.
Shape and Height May Matter More Than Material
A 2021 meta-analysis in Clinical Biomechanics pulled together 35 clinical trials on pillow designs. Its authors suggested that the alignment of the neck may depend more on the shape and height of a pillow than on what it's made of. Read the meta-analysis.
What This Research Doesn't Cover
These studies look at pillows and neck alignment in general. They don't study people after cervical fusion, and they don't test Crown Lift. My theory about head support after cervical fusion is still my own, which is why I keep collecting my own pillow mapping data. If you've had surgery, ask your surgeon before you change your pillow or your sleep position.
What Is Crown Lift?
Crown Lift® is an adjustable insert that slides into a pocket pillowcase under the pillow you already use. You swap or stack LiftCore™ supports to change the height. It's a general wellness product designed to support sleep comfort and head and neck positioning, and it isn't a medical device. Not sure where to start? The Find Your Lift page walks through the setup.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does head support matter after cervical fusion?
In my own experience, and in the pillow mapping data I'm collecting, I believe it does. That's my theory, not medical advice. Every surgeon's recovery instructions are different, so ask your surgeon before you change your pillow or your sleep position.
Why do most pillows let your head sink?
Pillow fill compresses under the weight of your head, which is about 10-12 lbs. As the fill compresses, your head can settle lower than where it started. I call this head drop. More on why your head sinks into your pillow.
How do I know how much head support I need?
The amount, the size and the type of support all matter, and they matter differently for each person. That's why I made Crown Lift adjustable. Start with small changes and give each one several nights.
Is Crown Lift a medical device or a treatment for cervical fusion recovery?
No. Crown Lift is a general wellness product designed to support sleep comfort and head and neck positioning. It isn't a medical device and isn't intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any medical condition.
Keep Reading
- Best Pillow After Cervical Fusion Surgery? You Might Not Need One
- The Real Reason Your Head Sinks Into Your Pillow Every Night
- What Is Head Drop?
Read the next installment of this blog if you want to hear the rest of this story. But also check out Crown Lift HERE. Support a fellow spine warrior.
This article is my personal experience and general information. It isn't medical advice. Crown Lift® is a general wellness product, not a medical device. Talk with your surgeon or care team about sleep position and pillows after surgery.
