UPFRONT/GO
Travel Pillow: Take It or Leave It?
The U style may not offer the best way to catch a few z’s on a plane. Two views:
PAIN IN THE NECK!
“The way this pillow is designed, it is not really built for an ergonomic position,” says Jeremy Smith, M.D., of Hoag Orthopedic Institute in Irvine, California. A neck pillow that’s too big for you can put your head and back out of proper alignment. These pillows also hinder movement. “It’s hard to find a comfortable position, even in a perfect-fitting neck pillow,” Smith adds. He advises using “a small, regular pillow.”
SOLID SUPPORT
“There are more pros than cons if you use these pillows in the correct way,” says physical therapist Devon Hoffman of Boise, Idaho. Make sure your upper back and head still rest against the seat, and take breaks every 30 minutes. During breaks, “rotate your head from side to side five times, holding the stretch for three seconds with each movement. Also, look up and down five times, and do five chin tucks.” —Maisy Fernandez