Cervical Collar

[web]

After 18 months of trying to keep my mouth shut I went to Walgreen's and purchased an inexpensive cervical collar. Success. Chin can't drop, mouth stays closed. confortable for me!

[Julie]

Hi - I must suggest you rethink the collar idea, good as it sounds. Your MD will back me up I think ... if you wear collars, even in bed when you're not moving around much, the muscles in your neck will start to weaken, and you'll lose some degree of control over time. It's the kind of surprise people get who wear collars too long after whiplash problems - they end up creating whole new ones. I am speaking from having worked for MD's in the field for years and it did become an issue for some people.

[derek70]

Hi - I must suggest you rethink the collar idea, good as it sounds. Your MD will back me up I think ... if you wear collars, even in bed when you're not moving around much, the muscles in your neck will start to weaken, and you'll lose some degree of control over time. It's the kind of surprise people get who wear collars too long after whiplash problems - they end up creating whole new ones. I am speaking from having worked for MD's in the field for years and it did become an issue for some people.

sorry for dig this post, but do you think that using a cervical collar for 7 hours (during sleep) and not for the rest of 17 hour of the day will cause any weaken for the neck?
I'm not getting used with a chinstrap and the cervical collar is my next move to avoid leaks.

thanks.

[LoneStar]

As a former physical therapist, I can say that wearing a cervical collar to bed to control the chin and prevent the mouth from opening will not in any way cause atrophy of the cervical muscles. The use of cervical collars in whiplash injuries is to support the weight of the head and prevent neck movement while the muscles/spine heal, usually in conjunction with careful physical therapy.

The OP using it to sleep is fine. He probably wears it looser anyway. He is still capable of moving his head/neck normally while wearing the collar if need be. He is lying down and the head is not in need of having its weight supported.

While Julie is correct in stating that prolonged use of a cervical collar without proper physical therapy can cause muscle atrophy, this is not the case here.

Lisa

[Lizistired]

Glad it's working for you, I used one for awhile last spring. Like everything I try, it worked great for about a week. I think it got hot in the spring and when I loosened it, I started getting leaks again. Maybe I'll get it back out in the fall.

[chunkyfrog]

I tried to do a search on brandy keg; but the site crashed--probably my budget wifi.

[derek70]

Tried cervical collar last night. In fact ZERO leaks and ZERO AI (very uncommon for me). Maybe it was useful against my mild aerophagia.
But my HI doubled and I woke up with pain in my teeth ( I thinking about a silicone dental apliance for bruxism).
Need a few more nights to decide if I'll keep the cervical collar.

[Slinky]

I've been trying to remember. It seems to me that my osteopath told me after a whiplash problem I was having that the "average head" weighs 7 - 12 lbs and he insisted that I spend AT LEAST 7 hours a day laying down so that there was no head weight on my neck.

7-12 lbs for adult heads seems like one heck of a weight range!

[SleepyToo2]

7-12 lbs for adult heads seems like one heck of a weight range!

How fast were you traveling when you hit your head? Anything fast and 12 lbs would probably be an underestimate. I had whiplash even though we only got tapped "gently" from behind. I was stopped, and the other driver was probably not doing much more than 5 miles an hour. Of course, some people seem to have much less than 7 lbs in their head - even with movement!

[Slinky]

I was sitting still about the 5th car back from a red traffic light. I have no idea how fast the ole gal was going when she hit me but we bounced off each other, she stabbed for her brakes and hit me a second time for good measure. I didn't pass out - but I "blacked out" for a short time that seemed forever. I could hear but I couldn't see - or move or even say ow!! I had my seat belt on and didn't hit my face on anything - but - the pain across my forehead was EXCRUCIATING!!

I was amazed at the little damage to the tailgate section of my '84 Olds Cierra wagon compared to the substantial damage to her '83 Chevrolet Impala. She hurt her knee on the steering wheel post.

[SleepyToo2]

Sounds like there were quite substantial forces at work there. At a guess, I would say that the "weight" of your head would have been more than 12 lbs. A few years ago I saw a video of a baby being held in the parents arms in the front seat of the car. They got hit from behind. Baby went through the windshield. Rear-end crashes are nasty things. If you sense one coming, lock your head to the headrest - you might reduce the effects. Sorry that such advice can't help you now. Sorry that you got hurt at all.

[49er]

Tried cervical collar last night. In fact ZERO leaks and ZERO AI (very uncommon for me). Maybe it was useful against my mild aerophagia.
But my HI doubled and I woke up with pain in my teeth ( I thinking about a silicone dental apliance for bruxism).
Need a few more nights to decide if I'll keep the cervical collar.

Interesting Derek.

In limited use (have been unable to stay sleep on the machine), at a pressure range of 10-20, if I use the collar, my AHI is two or below. If I don't use it, it goes to 10 or above.

Can't tolerate much higher pressures and the neck collar is getting to be very intolerable when I wear it with the mask. Another post.

49er

[ChicagoGranny]

the neck collar is getting to be very intolerable when I wear it with the mask.
49er

I have found the cervical collar does not have to be snug to work effectively.

I hope you are using a soft cervical collar,





and not one of the rigid ones,

[49er]

the neck collar is getting to be very intolerable when I wear it with the mask.
49er

I have found the cervical collar does not have to be snug to work effectively.

I hope you are using a soft cervical collar,





and not one of the rigid ones,

Hi CG,

Thanks for responding. Yes, I am wearing the soft collar but I think because of the warm weather, I find it very uncomfortable to wear along with the mask.

I am going to keep looking for "almost perfect" mask.

49er

PS - I was so desperate to avoid the collar that I was willing to try sleeping without a pillow. No dice.