OPTP The Original McKenzie night roll — Low Back Pillow for Sleeping and Round Back Support Pillow for Spine and Side Support — Size Large/Extra Large

UPDATE:I originally wrote this review the first of January 2023; it's now the middle of March 2023.I still haven't sought medical treatment for my back. Currently I'm on the fence as to whether it was a lumbar issue, or possibly a gluteus medius muscle strain/injury/pull?Whatever the issue, the key word in that sentence is 'was'. I'm not saying I'm back to 100%, but I'm now definitely somewhere in the 90+%. I still sleep with this thing every night, and I still wrap it a little lower than the product guide recommends.All the daytime back pain and difficulty bending down and sometimes even walking, is gone! Obviously I can't guarantee others will have my same results, but as I said below, I would buy this thing again in a heartbeat -- it has seriously been worth every penny!Cheers again!________So, I'm fairly certain I have an issue with one of my lumbar discs but have stubbornly not sought medical attention just yet. Sleeping had been a nightmare when trying to sleep flat on my back -- that's to say, I could lay on my back without issue or pain, but the moment I would try to get up, the lower back pain was almost unbearable. So I started side sleeping, which only helped a small amount.Yada yada, I was finally recommended this and picked it up on a whim...It is absolutely incredible. I probably look a bit ridiculous tying this thing around my waist at night, but no matter. I've been using it nearly two weeks now and my sleep has improved at least 70-80% or better. It recommends putting the product around the small of your back, but I go lower for my own personal comfort.Seriously, I don't typically leave Amazon product reviews, but this thing has worked beyond my expectations and I needed to show them some love. It's a simple design and idea and if there ever comes a day when I wear this one out, I'll for sure buy another.Cheers!

I received this pillow this morning and when I took it out of the box, I’m thinking this is not very soft as the description says it’s like a hard foam so I thought I would use it later today took a nap with it and within five minutes I took it off. It was harder than sleeping on a brick. I’m very disappointed, even though I took it out of the box to try it out. It says if you take it out of the box to try it there’s no return. I will try it again tonight, but I don’t think that I’ll be able to sleep with it. it’s not what it really described it to be. That’s just my opinion.

It was impossible for me to sleep with this product, so I had to return it. I have other products from this company that are very helpful for my painful lower back.

I had been struggling for months with a herniated disc on L4-L5. I had been doing my physical therapy religiously, avoiding sitting, doing my stretches, going to my chiropractor, doing acupuncture - all this after 2 cortisone shots as well. But every morning I would wake up and barely be able to walk without an off-centered gait, limping, and stiffness. I would have to spend a lot of time stretching on the floor before I was able to function normally. So while I was feeling better overall, it seemed like every morning I was starting over.Enter the McKenzie night roll. This was the missing piece for me. I put this on as I'm going to bed, and I wake up and can get right out of bed and walk normally. After reading McKenzie's book "Treat Your Own Back Pain", I learned that it's important for people with disc problems to maintain the lordosis of the spine (the natural curvature at the bottom in the lumbar region) at all times. Even when sleeping. Before, even after doing everything right during the day, I was not maintaining lordosis during sleep. Now I am, and I'm feeling MUCH better!Unfortunately, NOBODY told me this: Not my chiropractor, not my physical therapist, not my acupuncturist, not my spinal doctor, not my regular doctor - nobody. I would have never thought about purchasing something like this had I not read "Treat Your Own Back Pain". So please learn from my story. Read the book, buy the night roll, and take the other advice in the book to help you recover from a lumbar herniated disc!

Maybe it was coincidence but from the first night I slept with this thing under my waist, my back pain was 95% better. I have degeneration at the L5-S1 level and suffer bouts of significant pain. I usually have to treat it with drugs and chiropractic but this latest round, I bought this roll and the very next day the pain was almost all gone. I'm going to keep using it.I subtracted a star because the cover isn't quite long enough but that's a minor thing. I got the largest size, I don't know if the cover works better on the shorter versions. I don't tie it around my waist but just lie it on the bed and sleep on it. If I'd known that I would have gotten a shorter one. I assume the foam diameter is the same for all the sizes.I seem able to roll over in my sleep and get it repositioned just fine. It is firm enough that I don't think it will flatten too much very soon. It's not the most comfy thing in the world but I have no trouble falling asleep on it, I get used to it and forget about it in a few minutes, and no back pain is well worth it.

I bought this on the advice of my PT, everything else about the McKenzie method was working for my lovers back pain, so I thought this would be worth it. The diameter was way too large and no matter which way I tried to sleep I ended up in more pain than I normally would after a night’s sleep.Amazon had me contact the company for returns and the company was completely unsympathetic about the fact that the item did the opposite of help. I should’ve read the fine print, I guess, wish I had. Might work for you, you never know.