I read about the MedCline Shoulder Relief System on this forum. I decided to give it a try because I have rotator cuff isues that cause shoulder pain, and also some related cervical issues.
Sleeping on my side, a lot of weight is on my chest, but then my shoulder sticks out to accomodate my arm. That makes it dig into the mattress with a lot of pressure. The idea behind the MedCline pillow is to support the chest a few inches above the mattress, leaving a free space for the shoulder so it doesn’t need to support any weight.
The short version is that it does work to relieve shoulder pain, but it causes other problems. I ended up leaving it on a padded bench for quick naps or late night tv watching. I’m happy with it there, but not for regular full night sleeping in bed.
First the positive.
This pillow does relieve pressure on the shoulder. There’s very little weight pushing my shoulder against the mattress. For my shoulder issues, no pressure means no shoulder pain.
They sell this pillow as a set that includes a body pillow. This is interesting and could be useful all by itself. It’s candy cane shape lets you lean back on the pillow while having the short part in front which you can use to rest your arm. Or you can turn it around and lean back on the short side and have the long part in front like a normal body pillow.
There’s another pillow that fits inside the space at the top to fill that space. It does that well enough. You probably want to add your own pillow on top or replace this with one or more of your own if you find the combination too high. Just keep in mind that the body pillow goes over that space. This filler pillow with the body pillow over it might be enough. More likely you’ll need another pillow, and you’ll have to find a way to deal with the body pillow. It might work to put the body pillow under your neck and use another pillow for your head.
To really evaluate this thing requires talking a bit about spine and shoulder mechanics. The main issue is that when sleeping on your side, the outside end of your shoulder where the arm attaches is likely to dig into the mattress because it sticks out past the chest which bears most of your upper body weight. This part of the shoulder isn’t designed to support weight, so this pressure can cause pain.
One method of getting your shoulder out of the way is to lean back so the weight is pressing on the back of the shoulder, from shoulder to spine, not the pointy end. If you do lean back, you might need something to lean on. The candy cane body pillow is really good for this. The candy cane shape helps to keep you and the pillow in position because part of it wraps over your shoulder to the other side. The down side of leaning back is it’s hard to lean back and keep your spine straight. The spine will probably end up twisted. This can causes issues at the lower back. You might find it difficult or weird to position yourself, or it might cause pain for those with mid or lower back issues.
Another method of getting your shoulder out of the way is to raise your arm to bring the elbow up to shoulder level or even as high as your ear. This is like using your arm as a pillow. Along with this, you might raise your shoulder up as well. In this position your weight is supported by your chest, the bottom of your shoulder, and part of your arm. So it spreads the weight along a larger area of your body, easing the pressure on the shoulder end. While this is good for shoulder pain, it puts one shoulder higher than the other, which bends the cervical spine (neck) to the right or left. With the angle of your upper spine and neck leaning right or left (up or down if you’re lying down) you probably want your head to also point at that angle. It means you’ll need a taller pillow, and might even want one where the top of the pillow is a little higher than it is near your neck. No matter what, your spine will be bent sideways, which may or may not work well for you.
The good news is you needn’t do either of those with the MedCline setup. It raises your spine at a more or less straight angle, and you can adjust the pillow setup to keep your head along the same straight line.
Which brings me to the down side.
You might think it’s expensive. Part of the problem is they sell the whole set and won’t sell the parts separately.
I find the bigger issue is that my body is lying on the slope, but my hips are flat on the bed. This bend right in the lower lumbar is uncomfortable, and given I’ve had lumbar surgery, it’s probably not ideal. It’s possible to position my hips right on the edge so the spine is straight, but it’s difficult. Of course each of us is going to fit on it differently. There are only two sizes. Do the math. I imagine the transition from this pillow to the mattress is critical here. I don’t know which is worse, my lumbar spine bent, my hips digging into the mattress trying to prevent my body from sliding down the slippery slope, mentally adjusting to sleeping at an angle, or having to rest my body on this foam contraption rather than a nice comfortable mattress.
Finally, I’m not a fan of the covers because I don’t like polyester, and prefer 100% cotton. I’d also prefer a flat cotton, rather than the fluffy one they have. This is obviously a personal matter, but it would be nice to have the choice.
Ultimately, I had to find another solution to my shoulder pain in bed. Instead, I use the main pillow and the little filler pillow in the living room and use it for naps or late night tv watching. It actually works well for this on the padded bench. Maybe the issues I’ve had come from my particlar bed. Or maybe it’s shortcomings are easier to deal with while napping or watching tv. Meanwhile I have an extra body pillow for the bed, which I could have done without.