Body support and alignment pillow

Abstract

There is provided a body alignment and support pillow. The pillow includes a first portion that is substantially rectangular in profile and tapered at least in part. The first portion of the pillow is positionable under the chest and abdomen of a user during lateral slumber and promotes laterally upright positioning of the user's back, shoulders, and pelvis. The pillow includes a second portion that aligns with and is integrally formed with the first portion of the pillow. The second portion of the pillow is substantially rectangular in profile and is positionable between the user's thighs and knees. The pillow includes recessed regions extending between the first portion of the pillow and the second portion of the pillow. The second portion of the pillow is at least in part thinner in cross-section than the first portion of the pillow.

1 . A body alignment and support pillow for a user, the pillow comprising an upper, torso-supporting portion shaped to support and be at least partially positioned underneath the chest and abdomen of the user during lateral slumber, the upper portion of the pillow promoting laterally upright positioning of the back, and a lower, knee-supporting portion which is positionable between the thighs and knees of the user, the lower portion of the pillow aligning with the upper portion of the pillow. 
     
     
         2 . The pillow as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the lower portion of the pillow, when positioned between the thighs and knees of the user, functions to hold the upper portion of the pillow in place underneath the chest and abdomen. 
     
     
         3 . The pillow as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the pillow has a proximal end positionable adjacent to the shoulders of the user and a distal end positionable adjacent to the knees of the user, the upper portion of the pillow extending from the proximal end of the pillow towards the distal end thereof and the lower portion of the pillow extending from the distal end of the pillow towards the proximal end thereof. 
     
     
         4 . The pillow as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the upper portion of the pillow is shaped to extend from the top to the bottom of the user's torso and wherein the upper portion of the pillow has an inner longitudinal section that is tapered. 
     
     
         5 . The pillow as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the upper portion of the pillow has an inner longitudinal section that is substantially an isosceles triangle in shape in cross-section, the inner longitudinal section being positionable at least partially underneath and tapering towards the abdomen. 
     
     
         6 . The pillow as claimed in  claim 5  wherein the upper portion of the pillow has an outer longitudinal section integrally connected to the inner longitudinal section, the outer longitudinal section being substantially a rectangular prism. 
     
     
         7 . The pillow as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the lower portion is substantially a rectangular prism in shape, the lower portion of the pillow having a thickness extending between the knees of the user that is less than that of the outer longitudinal section of the pillow, the lower portion of the pillow separating the thighs and knees of the user so as to relax the user's hip muscles. 
     
     
         8 . The pillow as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the upper portion of the pillow has an outer longitudinal section positioned to be spaced-apart from the abdomen when in use, the pillow being shaped to promote alignment of the knees with the outer longitudinal section of the pillow. 
     
     
         9 . The pillow as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the pillow has a proximal end and a distal end spaced-apart from the proximal end, the upper portion of the pillow extending from the proximal end towards the distal end, the lower portion of the pillow extending from the distal end towards the proximal end, and wherein the pillow further comprises an inner longitudinal edge portion that is substantially continuous in shape and an outer longitudinal portion, the longitudinal edge portions being spaced-apart from each other and extending from the proximal end to the distal end, the outer longitudinal edge portion including a pair of spaced-apart knee positioning concave recessed regions for receiving the knees therewithin, the concave regions being part of the lower portion of the pillow and being positioned between the distal end of the pillow and the proximal end of the pillow. 
     
     
         10 . The pillow as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the pillow has an inner longitudinal edge portion for positioning adjacent to the user and an outer longitudinal edge portion spaced-apart from the inner longitudinal edge portion, the upper portion of the pillow having a pair of spaced-apart sides extending from the outer longitudinal edge portion to the inner longitudinal edge portion, each of the sides being convex in shape and extending from the outer longitudinal edge portion to the inner longitudinal edge portion of the pillow. 
     
     
         11 . The pillow as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the lower portion of the pillow is integrally connected to the upper portion of the pillow and wherein the pillow is shaped to promote at least partial bending of the knees towards the torso of the user. 
     
     
         12 . The pillow as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the upper portion of the pillow has a longitudinal central axis and wherein the lower portion of the pillow has a longitudinal central axis, the longitudinal central axis of the upper portion of the pillow aligning in parallel with the longitudinal central axis of the lower portion of the pillow. 
     
     
         13 . A body alignment and support pillow comprising:
 a first portion that is tapered at least in part, the first portion of the pillow being substantially rectangular in profile;   a second portion integrally connected to and formed with the first portion of the pillow, the second portion of the pillow being substantially rectangular in profile; and   recessed regions extending between the first portion of the pillow and the second portion of the pillow, the second portion of the pillow being at least in part thinner in cross-section than the first portion of the pillow.   
     
     
         14 . The pillow as claimed in  claim 13  wherein the first portion of the pillow comprises an outer longitudinal section that is substantially a rectangular prism and an inner longitudinal section integrally formed with the outer longitudinal section of the first portion of the pillow, the inner longitudinal section of the first portion of the pillow being substantially a triangular prism. 
     
     
         15 . The pillow as claimed in  claim 13  wherein the second portion of the pillow comprises an outer longitudinal section that is substantially a rectangular prism and an inner longitudinal section integrally connected to and formed with the outer longitudinal section of the second portion of the pillow, the inner longitudinal section of the second portion of the pillow being substantially a triangular prism. 
     
     
         16 . The pillow as claimed in  claim 13  wherein the second portion of the pillow is tapered at least in part. 
     
     
         17 . The pillow as claimed in  claim 13  wherein the second portion of the pillow is substantially a rectangular prism. 
     
     
         18 . The pillow as claimed in  claim 13  further including an outer longitudinal edge portion that substantially comprises two generally rectangular-shaped regions which align with the first portion and the second portion, respectively, of the pillow, and an inner longitudinal edge portion that is substantially straight. 
     
     
         19 . The pillow as claimed in  claim 18  wherein the first portion and the second portion of the pillow each include a pair of spaced-apart convex sides that extend from the outer longitudinal edge portion of the pillow to the inner longitudinal edge portion of the pillow. 
     
     
         20 . A method of aligning and supporting a person's body during lateral slumber using a body alignment and support pillow, the pillow including an upper portion having a tapered section and a lower portion aligned with the upper portion thereof, the method comprising:
 positioning the tapered section of the upper portion of the pillow underneath the chest and abdomen, the upper portion of the pillow promoting laterally upright positioning of the body thereby; and   positioning the lower portion of the pillow between the knees, the lower portion of the pillow supporting the thighs and knees and holding the upper portion of the pillow in place.