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How to Use the Denneroll Orthic Pillow

Ready to Improve Your Sleep?

The Denneroll Orthotic Pillow is designed to help improve your neck and spine alignment while sleeping. Follow these instructions for proper use and different sleeping positions.

Initial Setup:

Unpack the Denneroll Orthotic Pillow and ensure it is clean and in good condition.
Place the pillow on your bed with the curved side facing up.

How to Use It:

Lie down on your back with your neck resting on the curved portion of the pillow and the center piece flipped out.
Adjust the position of the pillow so that it comfortably supports the natural curve of your neck. The curvature should fit snugly into the curve of your neck and cradle your head.

Sleeping on Your Back:

Sleeping on your back with the Denneroll Orthotic Pillow is the most common and recommended position. This is also considered the best sleeping position. Retrain yourself to sleep in this position longer and longer each night. Keep your head centered on the pillow and allow your neck to rest in its natural curve. Use a supportive pillow under your knees to help maintain proper spinal alignment or take pressure off of your low back.

Sleeping on Your Side:

If you prefer sleeping on your side, you can still use the Denneroll Orthotic Pillow. Start on your back with the center piece flipped out and lay in this position for up to 15 minutes. Then replace the center piece, rotate pillow 90 degrees and lay on your side. When waking in the morning, flip the center piece out and lay on your back for an additional 15 minutes.
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Place the curved side of the pillow under your neck and adjust your head so that it aligns with your spine.
Place a regular pillow between your knees to maintain proper hip and spine alignment.

Getting Comfortable:

It may take a few nights to adjust to the new pillow, so be patient. Experiment with different positions and the placement of the pillow to find the most comfortable and supportive configuration for your body.

Consistency:

Use the Denneroll Orthotic Pillow consistently to experience its benefits. It is recommended to gradually increase the amount of time you spend using the pillow each night to allow your body to adapt.

Maintenance:

The pillow comes with it's own pillow case. Remove the case and wash regularly when needed. New pillow cases are available if one becomes damaged or too dirty.


Dennerroll Orthotic Pillow

If you haven't purchased yet, but are interested in improving your sleep, click the link below.
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Below you'll find the email that went out about the research and testing of this orthotic pillow.

Good morning fellow health aficionado, 


This email is very important, this is one you should read all the way through. Why? Well, it deals with a significant portion of your life.
Today, we're talking about sleep, and since 1/3 of your life is spent sleeping (roughly 230,680 hours if you live to 80 and 292,000 hours if you live to 100) this email is talking about a huge portion of your life. You should pay attention. 

My Longevity students will know some of this and a lot more because you went through my premium class. Longevity was a deep dive into strategies you can implement that will extent your life. (testimonials at the bottom). Longevity will reopen soon for a short time...so don't miss out.
 Most of you know I love to experiment and learn and a handful of you know about my month-long pillow experiment.

Well today I'm going to write in detail (why you should read this whole newsletter) about this new pillow technology, the science behind it and more importantly how it impacts your health + wellness.

I could bore you for the next 5 minutes with internet facts on how important sleep is, but I will not do that because I have learned over the last 20 years that my knowledge can significantly impact your life and I have an obligation to write and teach you about the options you have to drastically improve your life.

The pillow technology I've have been experimenting with is called the Dennerroll Pillow. It is a revolutionary design with one goal in mind; to improve sleep function. The primary function of the pillow is to improve your neck structure. Why does this matter to you? Because the structure of your neck dictates the volume of blood pumping to your brain, how you breathe and how you heal. Simple.
 
Why is the Dennerroll Pillow a Game-Changer?


 1. Optimizes Your Cervical Curve: Designed with precision, the Dennerroll Pillow aligns your neck perfectly, maintaining the natural curvature. This isn't just about comfort; it's about your health. This posture will reduce tossing and turning, neck and shoulder pain and headaches.
 2. Enhances Blood Flow to the Brain: Research has shown that a proper cervical curve significantly improves blood flow to the brain. This means better concentration, sharper mental clarity, and a noticeable boost in your overall cognitive functions. Check out the compelling research here: [Brain Circulation]
 3. It is the only *RESEARHED* pillow on the market

If you look at the pictures below, the Dennerroll Pillow looks like nothing you've ever seen. The center piece actually flips out. This is more than a pillow, it is a tool designed to retrain you to sleep properly.

It's no secret sleeping on your back is considered by far the healthiest sleeping position, but only 8% of people report sleeping on their backs.

What are the main reasons people report that they don't sleep in their backs? #1 their neck hurts and #2 they can't breathe.

 
Number 2 is a combination of obesity and spine structure. Research shows as people gain weight their tongues get fat (yes, it's a thing) This is what causes OSA (obstructive sleep apnea) and a big reason why I recommend if you need to lose weight why you should take my classes.

 
If you sleep on a regular pillow and the spine curve flattens in your neck you collapse the airway causing significant breathing issues.

 41% of people report they sleep in the fetal (side laying) position (not a bad position when done right) and a whooping 51% say they end up on their stomach most of the night. Sleeping on your stomach is disastrous for your health!

 This pillow is not a throw on your bed and start sleeping pillow, it is about retraining your body and spine to sleep properly. What this means is there is a learning curve to using this pillow. It is a sleep tool to restore your health, improve your quality of life and increase your longevity.
 
Ok, so here's what I'm going to do; there is a lot to cover on this topic and you know how I always say life is a "choose your own adventure". So, if you're getting bored this is a good place to stop reading. ​I

 
For the people who want to learn more and/or improve their health + wellness I am doing a deep-dive into the science down below the pictures.

Now if you're still reading this is the meat and potatoes, with the gravy...
 
Understanding the applying this knowledge I'm writing about here will drastically improve your quality of life. 

The last image with the MRI shows actually blood flow volume based on spine structure. The vertebral artery (the only artery in the body to run inside the spine) travels up to your brain. If you sleep with a pillow behind your head (flexion), or end up on your stomach you affectively decrease blood volume. 

Loss of lordosis of the cervical spine is associated with decreased vertebral artery hemodynamics.[1] “Vertebral arteries proceed superiorly, in the transverse foramen of each cervical vertebra and merge to form the single midline basilar artery”[1] which continues to the circle of Willis and cerebral arteries. Based on this close anatomical relationship between the cervical spine, the vertebral arteries, and cerebral vasculature, we hypothesized that improvement in cervical hypolordosis increases collateral cerebral artery hemodynamics and circulation. This retrospective consecutive case series evaluates brain magnetic resonance angiogram (MRA) in patients with cervical hypolordosis before and following correction of cervical lordosis.

According to Kapandji (Physiology of the Joints, Volume III), for every inch your head moves forwards, it gains 10 pounds in weight, as far as the muscles in your upper back and neck are concerned, because they have to work that much harder to keep the head (chin) from dropping onto your chest. This also forces the suboccipital muscles (they raise the chin) to remain in constant contraction, putting pressure on the 3 Suboccipital nerves. This nerve compression may cause headaches at the base of the skull. Pressure on the suboccipital nerves can also mimic sinus (frontal) headaches.

Rene Cailliet M.D., famous medical author and former director of the department of physical medicine and rehabilitation at the University of Southern California states:
“Head in forward posture can add up to thirty pounds of abnormal leverage on the cervical spine. This can pull the entire spine out of alignment. Forward head posture (FHP) may result in the loss of 30% of vital lung capacity. These breath-related effects are primarily due to the loss of the cervical lordosis, which blocks the action of the hyoid muscles, especially the inferior hyoid responsible for helping lift the first rib during inhalation.”

Persistent forward head posture (a.k.a “hyperkyphotic posture”) puts compressive loads upon the cervical and upper thoracic vertebra and is also associated with the development of Upper Thoracic Hump, which can devolve into Dowager Hump when the vertebra develops compression fractures (anterior wedging).

It's not uncommon to observe 2" of anterior head placement in new patients. Would you be surprised that your neck and shoulders hurt if you had a 20-pound watermelon hanging around your neck? That's what forward head posture can do to you. Left uncorrected, FHP will continue to decline. 

Alright, so now you know a little about how important head posture and neck curve are to your overall health + wellness. I could write an entire dissertation on just this topic so I am trying to trim it down to a manageable, actionable newsletter.

To date, this newsletter has taken me the longest to write. But it is worth it, because someone reading this is going to drastically change their life if they implement this strategy that affects 1/3 of your life, but really affects 100% of your life. 

Oh yeah, I almost forgot. There are inserts you can interchange in the neck piece to customize your feel. The inserts match the Denneroll Cervical orthosis I have many of you on. The ONLY drawback I found after sleeping on this pillow for a month was if you get lazy and lay on your back and don't move the center piece you force your head into flexion and can get a stiff neck (don't do that). The pillow takes time to learn but is worth every dime (it is not cheap) because it is the only researched pillow on the market. It is an investment into you and your family's health + wellness. 

Denneroll Pillow is Available in 3-sizes:  Small, Medium, Large
  • Large is recommended for persons 5'9" and taller
  • Medium is recommended for persons under 5'9"
  • Small is recommended for persons under 5'2"
  • All pillows come with the soft Denneroll insert.
Here's a few more research links for my super intellectuals that like a good dinner conversation. 

Demonstration of central conduction time and neuroplastic changes after cervical lordosis rehabilitation in asymptomatic subjects: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial | Scientific Reports (nature.com)​

Improvements in Cervical Spinal Canal Diameter and Neck Disability Following Correction of Cervical Lordosis and Cervical Spondylolistheses Using Chiropractic BioPhysics Technique: A Case Series - PMC (nih.gov)

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References

​(1) Yavin D1, Casha S1, Wiebe S, Feasby TE, Clark C, Isaacs A, Holroyd-Leduc J, Hurlbert RJ, Quan H, Nataraj A, Sutherland GR, Jette N. Lumbar Fusion for Degenerative Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Neurosurgery. 2017 May 1;80(5):701-715. doi: 10.1093/neuros/nyw162.

(2) Wang X, Borgman B, Vertuani S, Nilsson J. A systematic literature review of time to return to work and narcotic use after lumbar spinal fusion using minimal invasive and open surgery techniques. BMC Health Serv Res. 2017;17(1):446. Published 2017 Jun 27. doi: 10.1186/s12913-017-2398-6

​(3) Ratliff JK, Lebude B, Albert T, Anene-Maidoh T, Anderson G, Dagostino P, Maltenfort M, Hilibrand A, Sharan A, Vaccaro AR. Complications in spinal surgery: comparative survey of spine surgeons and patients who underwent spinal surgery. J Neurosurg Spine. 2009 Jun;10(6):578-84. doi: 10.3171/2009.2.SPINE0935.

​(4) Zaina F, Tomkins-Lane C, Carragee E, Negrini S. Surgical versus non-surgical treatment for lumbar spinal stenosis. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2016;2016(1):CD010264. Published 2016 Jan 29. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD010264.pub2
​
(5) Adogwa O, Parker SL, Bydon A, Cheng J, McGirt MJ. Comparative effectiveness of minimally invasive versus open transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion: 2-year assessment of narcotic use, return to work, disability, and quality of life. J Spinal Disord Tech. 2011;24(8):479–484.  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21336176

(6) Parker SL, Adogwa O, Bydon A, Cheng J, McGirt MJ. Cost-effectiveness of minimally invasive versus open transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion for degenerative spondylolisthesis associated low-back and leg pain over two years. World Neurosurg. 2012 Jul;78(1-2):178-84. doi: 10.1016/j.wneu.2011.09.013.

(7) Parker SL, Mendenhall SK, Shau DN, Zuckerman SL, Godil SS, Cheng JS, et al. Minimally invasive versus open Transforaminal lumbar Interbody fusion for degenerative Spondylolisthesis: Comparative effectiveness and cost-utility analysis. World Neurosurg. 2013. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23321379

​(8) Herkowitz HN, Kurz LT. Degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis with spinal stenosis. A prospective study comparing decompression with decompression and intertransverse process arthrodesis. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 1991 Jul; 73(6):802-8. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2071615/

(9) Tsutsumimoto T, Shimogata M, Yoshimura Y, Misawa H. Union versus nonunion after posterolateral lumbar fusion: a comparison of long-term surgical outcomes in patients with degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis. Eur Spine J. 2008;17(8):1107–1112. doi: 10.1007/s00586-008-0695-9

(10) Joseph JR, Smith BW, La Marca F, Park P. Comparison of complication rates of minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion and lateral lumbar interbody fusion: a systematic review of the literature. Neurosurg Focus. 2015 Oct;39(4):E4. doi: 10.3171/2015.7.FOCUS15278.

​(11) Greiner-Perth R, Boehm H, Allam Y, Elsaghir H, Franke J. Reoperation rate after instrumented posterior lumbar interbody fusion: a report on 1680 cases. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2004 Nov 15;29(22):2516-20. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15543064

(12) Saavedra-Pozo FM, Deusdara RA, Benzel EC. Adjacent segment disease perspective and review of the literature. Ochsner J. 2014;14(1):78–83. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3963057/

(13) MacDowall A, Canto Moreira N, Marques C, Skeppholm M, Lindhagen L, Robinson Y, Löfgren H, Michaëlsson K, Olerud C. Artificial disc replacement versus fusion in patients with cervical degenerative disc disease and radiculopathy: a randomized controlled trial with 5-year outcomes. J Neurosurg Spine. 2019 Jan 11;30(3):323-331. doi: 10.3171/2018.9.SPINE18659.

(14) Yang X, Janssen T, Arts MP, Peul WC, Vleggeert-Lankamp CLA. Radiological follow-up after implanting cervical disc prosthesis in anterior discectomy: a systematic review. Spine J. 2018 Sep;18(9):1678-1693. doi: 10.1016/j.spinee.2018.04.021.

(15) MacDowall A, Skeppholm M, Lindhagen L, Robinson Y, Löfgren H, Michaëlsson K, Olerud C. Artificial disc replacement versus fusion in patients with cervical degenerative disc disease with radiculopathy: 5-year outcomes from the National Swedish Spine Register. J Neurosurg Spine. 2018 Nov 2;30(2):159-167. doi: 10.3171/2018.7.SPINE18657.

(16) Zhong ZM1 Deviren V, Tay B, Burch S, Berven SH. Adjacent segment disease after instrumented fusion for adult lumbar spondylolisthesis: Incidence and risk factors. Clin Neurol Neurosurg. 2017 May;156:29-34. doi: 10.1016/j.clineuro.2017.02.020.

(17) Tobert DG, Antoci V, Patel SP, Saadat E, Bono CM. Adjacent Segment Disease in the Cervical and Lumbar Spine. Clin Spine Surg. 2017 Apr;30(3):94-101. doi: 10.1097/BSD.0000000000000442.

(18) Centeno C, Markle J, Dodson E, et al. The use of lumbar epidural injections for treatment of radicular pain. J Exp Orthop. 2017;4(1):38. Published 2017 Nov 25. doi: 10.1186/s40634-017-0113-5
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Dr. Wegmann is one of the best Chiropractors I've ever been to. I own a house in L.A., Miami and N. Michigan and spend a lot of my working time in New York City. Dr. Wegmann is passionate and brilliant when it comes to spine knowledge and care. -J.H.
I really admire them for being more than willing to ask for help from other professionals in the field when they don't have an answer to my question. They aren't even slightly arrogant, and I'm confident they are the best choice in town. ~Jim
  • Home
  • Wisdom Hub
    • Virtual Office Tour
    • Location & Hours
    • Spine Health >
      • Brain Health
      • Neck Problems
      • Pelvic Obliquity
      • Headaches
      • Spinal Orthosis
      • Student Athletes
      • Denneroll Pillow
      • Advanced Spine Research
    • Patients >
      • Clinical Excellence
      • Loss of Curve
      • Refer a Friend
      • Lecture Series
      • Evidence-based Care
      • Medical Massage Therapy
      • Your First Visit
      • Phase I Relief Care
      • Phase II Corrective Care
      • Phase III Wellness Care
      • Chiropractic History
      • The Chiropractic Story
      • HIPPA Information.
  • Health Store
  • Providers
    • The Team >
      • Dr. MJ Wegmann and Dr. Kallie Wegmann
      • Dr. Chelsea Bachelor
    • Refer a Patient
  • 20th Anniversary