No advice from osteopath

[Sandilinda]

I have chronic neck pain for which I see an osteopath regularly. The pain wakes me up several times every night. When I asked their advice about what type of pillow would help me I was told they couldn't recommend anything. They charge £60 for a 30 min session - was my question an unreasonable one?

I’d presume it’s because they can only provide advice that is based on scientific evidence. Studies are unlikely to have been done across a range of ordinary pillows for neck pain so she has no or little evidence base to work from. She can get in trouble for recommending anything that isn’t evidence based.

No your question wasn’t unreasonable, but she cannot give you an answer and said as such.

Also at £60 for 30 minutes that isn't nearly enough time for your osteopath to get a full clinical picture. Find a new osteopath. (My husband is an osteopath)

Have you seen a doctor and had a scan or xray of your neck?

I appreciate this is not directly answering the question you asked so apologies for that but I have known too many people see osteopaths (or chiropractors) without proper investigation of the problem so wanted to check.

A reputable practitioner should tell you the same but sadly many fail to do so.

I have osteopenia, confirmed by Dexa scan.

Ok, fair enough

It's really hard to find one who's available - there aren't that many around (I live in a rural area) and every place is booked up for more than 8 months

Me too. I also have nerve damage and arthritis.
A dexa scan is only looking at bone density.
You could other issues too which that would not identify.
An mri would be helpful.
I am a retired nurse btw.

What kind of pillow are you currently using? What kinds are you looking at as being possibilities that might help you?

Thanks @Ratherhaveacupofteaandabiscuit I'll ask my GP for a referral.

@SylvanMoon my pillow is medium thickness, neither very flat or extra plump. I'd come across some old MN threads which mentioned pillows which have a depression in the middle where you rest your head so it holds the head in place to lessen movement during sleep.

Hi op. I sleep with a feather pillow which I bunch up so it provides a wedge under my neck, then my head is lower at the back. So basically my neck sits on the bunched up ridge of pillow. And then my head is on the rest of the pillow which is lower. I do sleep on my back though so it might not help you.

@Autumnallaround I sleep on my back as well. How does the ridge stay bunched up through the night?

I rebunch it if I wake up!

I cannot sleep in hotels on synthetic filling pillows. They are so rigid. I have to be able to bash my feather pillow into the right place for my head.

Also, check your mattress isn't sagging where your bum is as that will affect your neck.

@Autumnallaround the mattress is fine. I really like your idea about a feather pillow and being able to bash it! Will definitely be trying that, thanks.

They might not know what to recommend as an alternative pillow or it could also be possible that your neck pain is something internal and irrelevant to pillow type.

The question was fine, and so was their response.

I don’t think it was an unreasonable question at all, especially when you’re paying £60 and the pain is affecting your sleep. They may not want to recommend a specific product, but they could at least have given you some general guidance on what to look for in a pillow.

Chronic neck pain is horrendous. It had me in tears. Osteo was great but actually what worked better than anything was acupuncture! It saved my sanity. As for the pillow, everyone is different. I spent hundreds trying to find the right pillow so of course he can’t tell you what pillow to buy.

I bought a couple of those specialist cervical pillows, but they were never quite what I felt I needed. So, like @cbbo, have spent a small fortune trying to find my Goldilocks pillow. I am now happy with a Tempur pillow, but my DH hates it and uses a very soft feather pillow to ease his neck. I think it is more trial and error than a one-type-fits-all thing that your osteo could recommend (although I do agree that they could have given you some parameters to look for that might help).

Thanks all for the replies.

I've spoken to my GP today and asked to be referred for a mri. I don't plan to buy a new pillow or go back to the osteopath until I have the results.