We’ve all seen the traditional cervical collars, and most of us would agree it screamed “uncomfortable.” 

But did you know the modern neck support collar is engineered to look elegant and offers you optimum posture support? Yes, you read that right. 

With technological innovations, ergonomically designed, minimal coverage neck braces support good posture, corrects head alignment, and alleviates back pain. 

Gone are the days where a bulky neck support collar would ruin your attire and make you feel claustrophobic. You can go anywhere wearing discreet, slim, and stylish neck support collar-corporate parties, lunch with your friends, movie nights, office, etc. It won’t ruin the aesthetic of your attire. 

However, after neck surgery or after diagnosis of any neck issue, when your doctor recommends a neck support collar, you become anxious and unnerved. There’re so many myths surrounding it. Let’s take a look-

Some Common Myths About the Neck Support Collar

Myth 1- Not wearing the neck support collar may cause dislocation of the bone grafts, screws, and plates. You’ll need to undergo another surgery to fix them.

With technological advancement in technique and instrumentation, the cervical fusion procedure can be done in outpatient settings. 

During the procedure, the disc is completely removed. The disc material gets replaced by a bone graft or an artificial implanted device. Now the screws and plates secure the two bones next to the removed disc. 

A caged structure, generally filled with bone grafts, is used for bridging the two vertebrae, allowing the bones to grow and fuse together. As a result, fusion surgery is exceptionally stable. With posterior surgeries, rarely the screws may get dismantled with vigorous shaking of the head. 

However, a neck support collar can reduce neck pain due to bad posture and prevent any sudden shock to your neck. 

Myth 2- Surgeries won’t heal, and the fusion won’t happen unless you keep the neck still all the time. Therefore neck braces are necessary only after surgery. 

For most patients, bone fusion will occur with or without neck movement. Non-fusion is generally caused due to other factors, like diabetes, smoking, or alcoholism, before and after surgery.  

Through a complex process, osteogenesis, the bones develop, heal, grow and repair. 

Patients at risk for non-union will be identified and appropriate measures, like giving a bone growth stimulator.  

The cervical neck collar does not play any role in the bone-fusing process. However, during the healing process, neck braces help to maintain the correct posture. 

Myth 3 - You need to wear your neck support collar 24/7. 

You don’t need to wear a neck support collar 24/7 and definitely not your entire lifetime. After the cervical fusion procedure, patients may feel sleepy for the first few days due to the aftereffect of anaesthesia and analgesia. 

You don’t need to wear your collars when you sleep unless you’re comfortable wearing them to bed. You need to take off the posture support device when you’re taking a bath, and anytime you feel uncomfortable. 

It should feel comfortable whenever you wear it. Too loose or too tight collars aren’t helpful.