Ergonomic Latex Pillows as a Part of a Multimodal Intervention or as an Adjunct to Rehabilitation Programs in Cervical Spondylosis: Are They Useful?: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated the effectiveness of ergonomic latex pillows in terms of clinical and biomechanical (cervical range of motion) outcome measures in patients with cervical spondylosis.

DESIGN: This parallel-group randomized controlled trial randomly assigned 42 patients with cervical spondylosis to the experimental and control groups. Both groups received 12 sessions of routine physical therapy for 4 wks. While the experimental group received an ergonomic latex pillow, the control group slept on their own usual pillow during the mentioned 4-wk period. Pain intensity, functional disability, medication use, and cervical range of motion were measured before and after 4 wks of intervention.

RESULTS: After 4 wks of intervention, the experimental group showed pain relief, decreased disability, and significantly increased range of motion in all directions. The simultaneous use of an ergonomic latex pillow and physical therapy could more successfully decrease pain intensity compared with routine physical therapy alone. In addition, extension and right lateral flexion variables significantly increased in the experimental group compared with the control group.

CONCLUSIONS: The administration of an ergonomic latex pillow can ameliorate treatment outcome in patients with cervical spondylosis.