• Erfanian P
• Guerriero RC
• Hagino CC

• Bedding and Linens
• Cervical Vertebrae

To assess whether external measurements of the subject’s neck are predictive of the preferred thickness of cervical pillow, given a choice of four different contour thicknesses.

Design:

Preliminary correlational study.

Subjects:

The subjects consisted of asymptomatic adults between the ages of 18-45 years, and were drawn from student and faculty populations of the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College (CMCC).

Sample size:

A total of 105 eligible adults were recruited, of which 53 were male and 52 were female.

Outcome Measures:

Subjects were assessed using the following measurements of the cervical spine: (1) the external occipital protuberance (EOP) to the seventh cervical spinous process posteriorly (2) the mastoid to the acromioclavicular joint laterally, and (3) neck girth measured at the fourth cervical vertebra. Subjects were asked to choose one of the four possible thicknesses with respect to comfort over a short period of time (i.e. about 10 minutes).

Statistical Analysis:

Results were analyzed at the 0.10 level of significance using the Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation Coefficient. Analyses were stratified by gender.

Results:

This study found no statistically or clinically significant correlation between neck dimensions and pillow size preference (r < 0.7, p > 0.02).

Conclusion:

The results of this study suggest that the three specifically outlined cervical measurements may not serve as good predictors for size preference for this type of cervical pillow. The results of this study also do not suggest “one-size” pillow fits all. Patients may still require a selection of cervical pillow thicknesses. Pending further investigation of this important clinical problem, it may be prudent to continue recommending double-contoured or other variably-sized pillows.

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