We bought 2 of these pillows.  I am a side sleeper and my shoulder always seemed to bother me the next morning - but now it doesn't!  The curved portion gives the room I need for my shoulder and the pillow supports my head and neck.  My husband has a bad shoulder (rotator cuff problems) and wasn't able to sleep on his side.  Consequently, he slept on his back and I would listen to him snore!  Now that he can comfortably sleep on either side, he doesn't snore much at all!  Win, win!  (At first he wanted his 2 old pillows back, but I had already gotten rid of them, so he kept trying.)  We are both very ahppy!