Our Story

Born From Pain.
Built for Recovery.

The Shoulder Sleeper Pillow started the night a professional pitcher couldn't sleep.

After shoulder surgery, Sam Jacobsak spent weeks awake β€” unable to lie on his back, his side, or even sit comfortably in a recliner. His sling wasn't built for sleep. No pillow on the market was. So he turned to his physical therapist, Mike Scaduto, and together they set out to build what didn't exist: a sleep-positioning system that actually protects the shoulder during recovery.

What started as a hand-cut, hot-glued prototype is now a patented medical device recommended by 300+ surgeons and physical therapists, named Forbes' #1 pillow for shoulder recovery, and trusted by 25,000 patients across the country.

2021

Founded

25K+

Patients Helped

300+

Surgeons Recommend

4.8β˜…

Average Rating
The Injury

30 minutes of sleep at a time.

Sam was pitching in the Phillies' minor league system when his shoulder gave out. Rotator cuff repair and clean-up. Surgery in 2021.

The rehab was brutal β€” but sleep was worse. He couldn't lie on his back. He couldn't roll to his side. Every time he drifted off, he'd shift, the pain would hit, and he'd be awake again. Thirty minutes was a good night.

After a full week of this, Sam called Mike β€” his physical therapist since high school, back home in Boston β€” and said he couldn't do it anymore.

"I was going on week two with no real sleep. I told Mike β€” there has to be something out there. He looked. Nothing existed."

Sam JacobsakΒ·Co-Founder
College Northeastern
Broken handed man
The Partnership

A four-piece prototype, hot glue, and a Friday night.

Sam went home to Boston that winter to rehab with Mike. When no product on the market could help, they decided to build one themselves.

Sam put together a rough four-piece prototype on a Friday β€” foam, hand-cut, held together with hot glue. He brought it into Mike's clinic to test. That Monday, Mike walked in with something new: a refined version with real structure, real positioning, real support. The first true Shoulder Sleeper.

From there, they spent two years perfecting it β€” testing foam densities, refining the cover, soft-launching prototypes to surgeons around the country. Mike used his PT network. Sam worked his rehab contacts in the Phillies organization. Every patient who had surgery became a chance to test, learn, and improve.

"We weren't designing for a market. We were designing for me β€” and then for every patient Mike saw after me. That's why it works."

Sam JacobsakΒ·Co-Founder

2 Years

Of Testing

12+

Prototypes

100s

Of Patients Trialed
A four-piece prototype, hot glue, and a Friday night.
The Breakthrough

From Mike's clinic to surgeons worldwide.

By the time Sam and Mike were ready to launch, the Shoulder Sleeper had already been tested by hundreds of post-op patients. Surgeons were asking how to recommend it. Patients were asking where to buy it.

The hot-glue prototype became a patented medical device. A local PT's back-room project became a product trusted by orthopedic surgeons across the world. Forbes named it the #1 pillow for shoulder recovery in 2025.

What started as one athlete trying to get through the night became the recovery tool thousands of patients now rely on from the first night after surgery.

From Mike's clinic to surgeons worldwide.
The Team

Meet the People Who Built It

A small group working on behalf of every patient trying to get through the night.

CO-FOUNDER
Sam JacobsakCO-FOUNDER & CEO Β· FORMER PRO PITCHER

The patient who became the inventor. Phillies' minor leagues, post-op insomnia, and the question that built the company: Would this have worked for me?

CO-FOUNDER
Mike ScadutoCo-Founder Β· Physical Therapist

Shoulder and elbow specialist at Champion PT and Performance in Waltham, MA. Believed his patients deserved better than a wedge pillow and a long night. So he helped build something better.

Madysen HowardOperations & Customer Success

The voice behind every customer email and the system behind every shipment. If you've talked to Shoulder Sleeper, you've talked to Madysen.

David Drohlich, MBA
David Drohlich, MBABUSINESS ADVISOR

20+ years in orthopedic medical devices. President of DJD Medical, exclusive distributor owner for J&J/DePuy Synthes across New England. Former leadership at Zimmer Biomet and DePuy Synthes.

Mike JacobsakFOUNDING INVESTOR & ADVISOR

Engineer at Teradyne with 40+ years across physics, electrical, and computer engineering. Backed Shoulder Sleeper from day one and helps guide finance, supply chain, and manufacturing decisions.

Medical Advisors

Backed by Leading Surgeons

Dr. Ken Yamaguchi, MD, MBA
Dr. Ken Yamaguchi, MD, MBASHOULDER & ELBOW SURGEON Β· CHICAGO, IL

Northwestern Feinberg Professor. Designs next-gen shoulder replacement systems with Zimmer-Biomet. 175+ peer-reviewed publications.

Dr. Raffy Mirzayan, MD
Dr. Raffy Mirzayan, MDORTHOPAEDIC SPORTS MEDICINE Β· LOS ANGELES, CA

Partner at DOCS Health. Co-Founder of Shoulder360. 24+ years in sports medicine and cartilage repair, formerly at Kaiser Permanente.

Dr. Matthew Pifer, MD
Dr. Matthew Pifer, MDORTHOPAEDIC SHOULDER SURGEON Β· SANTA BARBARA, CA

Shoulder, Sports Medicine, and Biologic Therapies Specialist at Orthopedic Surgical Practice of Santa Barbara. Kaiser-trained, fellowship in sports medicine and arthroscopy.

Where We Are Today

Built for one patient.
Now used by 25,000.

Today, the Shoulder Sleeper is recommended by 300+ orthopedic surgeons and physical therapists, used by patients recovering from rotator cuff repairs, shoulder replacements, labrum repairs, and chronic shoulder pain. We ship internationally through distributors in five countries. Clinical studies are underway.

But the mission hasn't changed. Every feature, every update, every new product still starts with the same question Sam asked Mike that first week: What would have actually helped me sleep?

We're still building for the patient who can't get through the night. We always will be.

25K+

Patients Helped

300+

Surgeons & PTs

25

Countries

Clinical

Studies Underway
Shop the Shoulder Sleeper Meet the Founders β†’
Our Mission

Helping People Rest, Recover, and Return

The Shoulder Sleeper team remains passionate about helping people with shoulder pain and post-surgery recovery get the rest they need. We've helped countless individuals find relief, improve their sleep, and speed up recovery β€” and our mission continues to focus on providing comfort and support to those who need it most.

Patient-FirstEvery feature starts with what patients actually need.
Clinically InformedDesigned with surgeons and physical therapists.
Made in CaliforniaAssembled in Corona, CA with materials we trust.
Surgeon ApprovedRecommended by 300+ orthopedic specialists.
Shop the Pillow Get in Touch
For Medical Professionals

For Surgeons and Clinics

Your patients ask what to do about sleep on night one. Now you have an answer. We work directly with orthopedic practices and physical therapy clinics to provide samples, wholesale pricing, and patient resources β€” so you can recommend with confidence.

Request a Sample Learn About Our Clinician Program