A wedge pillow for hip pain is a valuable tool to help you sleep comfortably no matter your hip diagnosis. Keep reading to learn how a hip pillow wedge aligns your leg correctly so that you can sleep comfortably.
Hip wedge pillow for side sleepers
When looking for a hip wedge pillow, look for one that properly aligns your top hip, leg, and ankle. This is the most important aspect of a hip pillow wedge whether you have bursitis, arthritis, a total hip replacement, ITB syndrome, sciatica, back pain, etc.
Side sleepers should always sleep with a pillow in between their knees- but not just any pillow. Many side sleepers do sleep with a pillow in between their legs when they sleep. The problem is, most are not not supportive enough.
A proper wedge pillow for hip pain should run from your pubic bone to past your feet. It needs to support your entire leg. Sadly, most regular pillows or even standard “body pillows” do not provide adequate support for your leg.
When lying on your side correctly with a hip wedge pillow, your hip, knee, and foot should rest at the same height. Your knee should not slope down in relation to your hip and the same principle with your ankle. When your entire leg and hip are completely parallel to the bed, your hip and back muscles will be completely relaxed. There will be no pulling, tension, or rotation to cause your hip or lower back to hurt.
To effectively combat hip pain and low back pain, a hip pillow wedge should be used in conjunction with a side sleeper wedge. A side sleeper wedge will return your low back to a neutral position. Without a side sleeper wedge, your spine curves to compensate for the surface of your bed. When your spine curves, pressure immediately disperses to both hips, leading to soreness, stiffness, and pain.
Hip wedge pillow for back sleepers
A wedge shaped pillow for hip pain will look different for back sleepers. All back sleepers, but especially those with hip pain, should avoid lying flat on their backs. Most people have an arch in their back when they lie flat. This arch causes the muscles in your back to tighten and increases the pressure on both of your hips.
To solve this, use a knee wedge pillow that is at least 8 inches high. When a wedge pillow is supporting the weight of your legs, the arch in your low back disappears. Your spine and hips return to a neutral position. The pressure you felt in your low back and hips disappear.
Whether you use a wedge pillow for hip pain to sleep on your back or a wedge pillow for hip pain to sleep on your side, you can find a way for your body to sleep comfortably!
-Hillary Blare, Doctor of Physical Therapy