Background: Sleep accounts for approximately one-third of a person’s lifetime. It is a relaxing activity that relieves mental and physical fatigue. Pillows of different sizes, shapes, and materials have been designed to improve sleep quality by achieving an optimal sleep posture. Objects: This study aimed to determine which pillow provides the most comfortable and supports the head and neck during sleep, which may enhance sleep quality. Methods: Twenty-eight healthy adults (19 males and 9 females) with an average age of 29 years participated in this cross-sectional study. This experiment was conducted while the participants laid down for 5 minutes in four different pillow conditions: (1) no pillow (NP), (2) neck support foam pillow (NSFP), (3) standard microfiber filled pillow (SFP), and (4) hybrid foam pillow (HFP). The head-neck peak pressure, cranio-vertebral angle in supine (CVAs), cranio-horizontal angle in supine (CHAs), chin-sternum distance (CSD), and muscle tone of sternocleidomastoid were analyzed using one-way repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA). The significance level was set at p < 0.05. Results: The head-neck peak pressure was the highest in the NSFP condition, followed by the NP, SFP, and HFP conditions. The CVAs, CHAs, and CSD of the SFP were lower than those of the other pillows. Muscle tone was the highest in the NP condition, followed by the of NSFP, HFP, and SFP conditions. The participants subjective comfort level in both the supine and side-lying postures was highest in the HFP condition, followed by the SFP and NSFP conditions. Conclusion: This study can be used to establish the importance of pillow selection for highquality sleep. The results of this study, suggest that a hybrid pillow with a good supportive core and appropriate fluffiness can maintain comfort and correct cervical spine alignment during sleep.
Background: Although the Schroth exercise is widely used in idiopathic scoliosis, the Schroth exercise with kinesiotaping is not. And, little research has examined their effectiveness.
Objectives: To investigate the effect of Schroth exercise with kinesiotaping on idiopathic scoliosis. Design: A randomized controlled trial.
Methods: Participants with hamstring tightness were allocated into the Schroth exercise with kinesiotaping group (SETG, n=12) and the schroth exercise group (SEG, n=11). Participants groups performed Schroth exercise with kinesiotaping or Schroth exercise according to group assignment. To identify changes in spine alignment and balance were performed at pre- and postexercise. Results: Significant changes occurred in spine alignment, balance ability (X mean, LOS forward, LOS right) after exercise in SETG (P<.05). SETG was a significant difference in balance ability (LOS right) than SEG.
Conclusion: Schroth exercise with kinesiotaping are effective in improving spine alignment and balance ability in idiopathic scoliosis.