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

I have lower back pain and sciatica related to two bulging lumbar discs. Since faithfully and carefully following the McKenzie exercises in his book "Treat Your Own Back" and using the McKenzie roll I can say I have definitely seen a trend toward improvement. However, it did not keep me from awakening in pain if I lie on my side. I do know that when I first get up in the morning I now have no back pain or stiffness. Some have commented on the thickness. I have found after a couple of weeks in flattens out somewhat. One commenter mentioned the ties coming loose. It does say that it is not necessary to tie it tightly around you but that having been said I wonder about how durable the ties will be. The idea of the tie is to keep the roll positioned correctly while you sleep. I am overall very pleased and when I wear this one out I will be buying another because I do think it has helped me. It does come wrapped in plastic so you can tell if it fits before you unwrap it because you can't return once out of the plastic wrap.

This product is ridiculous. It costs a ton, but it's really only a bit of foam with an ill-fitting cover. It's far too large and too firm to actually fit under the lumbar spine when one is sleeping. It left my back hurting more than before.Additionally, you can't even return the item. Be aware before you buy that there will be no trying it out and then returning it for a refund. You will be stuck with your overpriced strip of useless foam.Oh, and it ties onto your body in a very unhelpful way, because it's hard to tie it tight enough to stay put. That equals lots of wake-ups during the night when you will be forced to wrestle with this bulky girdle that prevents you from easily turning or changing positions in bed.Don't waste your money. You'll find yourself awake and uncomfortable all night, with a painful back in the morning.

This is an awesome concept and I cannot really sleep without something like this now. It does help with my lower back pain, I have a herniated disk. The biggest drawback to this product is that it does not last long and the quality of it's help decreases quickly over time. I have purchased more than half a dozen of these in the past few years. However, the foam breaks down and becomes very flat in about 3 months. I am a tall guy and only weigh 160lb so I am not putting a lot of weight on it. I also have a memory foam bed which lessens the impact on this. I would recommend the product as there really isn't anything else like it on the market for sleeping. However, be prepared to buy them pretty frequently and even more often if you are a heavier person. If they could make this into a longer lasting foam it would be 5 stars. Unfortunately, McKenzie seems more about raking in repeated sales than helping their customers as the product has not changed since I first tried it years ago.

Replaced an old worn-out one. Placing this belt around my waist at night gives my low back support, as I am a side-sleeper. For back sleeping, it may prove to be too bulky at first. Looks silly but it Works. Have been sleeping better with one for years.

The sizing guidance and description for this item are not accurate. The seller says that the Small size fits waist sizes 24"-34", and is 4-1/2" in diameter, while the X-Small fits up to 24" and is also 4-1/2" in diameter. I have a 27" waist and when I first put it on I realized that the Small size is far too large - a bit like wearing a hula hoop that easily slips out of place, even when tied as tight as possible.So, I ordered a X-Small, which does fit my 27" waist much better, BUT as is obvious in the photo I have provided, the diameter is smaller (3-1/2"). Also, the polyurethane foam insert is softer/less firm than the one in the Small size, so I'm not sure it will provide adequate support - time will tell.This vendor needs to accept returns, at least of brand new/unused items. At minimum, OPTP needs to provide much more accurate descriptions of its products and better information on its sizing guide.

The purpose of the McKenzie program is to RESTORE normal lordosis in lumbar and cervical spine AND discs. Distortion of the spine and discs (bulge, rupture, etc.) is what causes pain. I could see how this roll might not work if you are not following the book TO THE LETTER. And that includes constantly correcting your posture (which the books teach you exactly how to do) sitting, standing, walking AND sleeping. You are building a habit of good posture, which means consistently strengthening the postural muscles.My neck started acting up while I was working on the lumbar program. Instead of reading the neck program and starting that, I thought I would go to the chiropractor for a quick fix and he over-adjusted me and made it worse. So I started the neck program. When I was in a lot of pain, back and neck, the excercises initially increased the pain, but the pain reduced every time I did the exercises. When I hit a roadblock, I went back to the book and discovered I missed something. My pillow was a big issue for my neck and I had to get another one that I could use with the cervical roll. I so wish I had discovered this method years ago. I'm 72 now and so grateful I'm getting my strength back as well as significantly reducing all kinds of pain.I found that correcting my posture also improved my rotator cuff issues (full thickness tear, really painful, debilitating, refused surgery bc they always end up doing it over, makes money for them, doesn't heal you. Also used a copper infused brace that restricted shoulder movement, allowing to use you hand fairly normally while preventing re-injury of rotator cuff. I started the lumbar exercises about 3 months after starting the shoulder brace and the lumbar exercises accelerated the healing.).Only complaint is that it flattens out too soon. I'm buying another one because it's easier to use than constantly having to re-roll a towel.