An orthopedic pillow having a block made of deformable material, the block having a substantially quadrilateral perimeter, an upper surface of the block having a substantially airfoil-shaped reverse curved surface, and a groove being provided in the upper surface, the groove being sized and adapted to accommodate the cervical vertebrae of a user of the orthopedic pillow. The orthopedic pillow may be provided with an arrangement for altering its temperature so as to effect either a warming or cooling of the user's cervical vertebrae. A sizing kit for determining an appropriate size of orthopedic pillow for use by a patient is also described.

An adjustable pillow with adjustable neck support having a main portion and a neck support portion. A plurality of separately inflatable members positioned in chambers that are surrounded and separated by cushioning material. One of the chambers formed in the neck support portion and the other chambers formed in the main portion. One of the main portion chambers is in substantial vertical alignment with the neck support portion chamber. Each inflatable member is configured to be inflated and deflated to an infinite number of pressures for controlling the firmness of support provided by the pillow and neck support.

An improved pillow having a head supporting portion and a neck supporting portion. The neck supporting portion having a firmness greater than the head supporting portion. The neck supporting portion is of lesser transverse dimension than the head supporting portion to allow freedom from interference of the pillow with the sleeper's jaw and mouth. In an alternate version, the pillow includes two reversible neck supporting portions of different firmness.

A composite pillow made up of a sheet of foamed material shaped into sleeve-like form with limited-area portions contacting and adhered to each other to give the pillow a shape somewhat of a pear lying on its side; i.e., with the lengthwise axis of the pear being horizontal. The sleeve-like sheet provides a peripheral wall within which a fairly large cavity exists to one side of the junction between the joined areas, and this cavity contains an air bag or the like which may be selectively inflated to provide support for the user's neck while the user's head rests on the small part of the "pear".

A method is provided for improving posture and relieving back pain of a person in a supine position. The invention includes the steps of pressing a convex pillow against the region of the ilia, sacrum, and fifth lumbar vertebra to produce a substantial sacral base angle and to fully oppose any moment tending to cause rotational shifting of the pelvis, and supporting the thighs and calves in an elevated position such that the thighs extend upwardly at an angle of from about 53.degree. to 63.degree. from horizontal, and the calves extend at an angle of from about 0.degree. to 20.degree. downwardly from horizontal. The method normally also includes simultaneously resiliently supporting the back of the neck in an elevated position while permitting the cervical vertebrae to maintain their normal, physiologic curvature, in supporting the head of the person in an elevated position while maintaining the cervical vertebrae and the occiput in an unflexed, physiologic position.