Patients’ experiences: Tips&Tricks

Now that a few Nexus are out in circulation (and many are used by several family members) comments, tips and suggestions are coming back. The ‘self-limiting’ use of the Nexus is interesting – we are very pleased about that. When one is well, the thing lies in the bedside table and is almost forgotten. Only when complaints come up again do you think about reaching into the drawer. Or sometimes not, in which case it first has to be ‘encouraged’ during a visit to our practice.

Perhaps it should also be emphasised once again that the following also applies here: A lot doesn’t help much! There is no point in sleeping on the pillow all night. Apart from a temporary numbness at the back of the head, nothing much happens, but it doesn’t help more than the 3-8 minutes we recommend.

So while it seems to make little sense to increase the duration of the treatment, it is possible to increase the strength of the stretching. The simplest thing to do is to put one arm on the forehead to increase the weight beyond the point of contact. Since there are no excessive forces involved, you can try this without risking anything. Several patients also told us that they had put small sandbags on their forehead, which ultimately has the same effect. Both can be tried out.

You can also modify the angle at which you lie on the cushion. For biomechanical reasons, it seems to make more sense to bring the chin forward and avoid overextension. People with a hunched back or a habitual head posture in a forward bend usually need a towel or a pad under the Nexus to bring the back of the head into contact with the contact surfaces of the Nexus.

Whether it is better to use Nexus in bed or on the carpet is judged differently. Especially those who use it in the morning usually do so in bed and get along well with it. Many of our patients with ‘stressful’ jobs also have copies in their offices and cantors and use Nexus during the day when they notice that too much tension has built up in their neck. They then usually just lie on the carpet. For the short time it takes, this is usually the easiest thing to do.

We have also heard time and again that the ‘helping eye’ of a partner can support lying straight on the cushion. Actually, the pillow – which is round – slides spontaneously into the right position, but sometimes the hint of a bystander can help.