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Use of cervical collars?

ccole10
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10/09/2012 - 9:23pm
Use of cervical collars?

Good evening, Quick question on the use of cervical collars / supports when performing 'home improvement' projects. I have CRPS, a loss of dessication in the cervical spine discs, a loss of all curvature in the cervical spine, and radiating pain at the C1/2 area due to a whiplash-type injury. There is no damage to any of the discs (just the fluid degeneration). I've just started your book, and was curious about your opinion on cervical collars supports? Do they help to hold the neck in a proper position while working bent over, or do they cause more problems such as locking you into an improper position? I'd like to be able to do some projects around the house without hurting so much. Thanks!!

charlenehannibal
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12/15/2010 - 7:51am

As you have probably gathered from our book, we teach a neck position that is elongated as possible.  This will cause the chin to be slightly downwardly directed and will keep the back of the neck as straight as possible.  Because many neck braces favor a more curved cervical spine, it may be difficult to find one that supports our shape.  

If you can find one that you feel supports you on your way to an elongated neck, then it should be perfectly fine to wear one, especially when you are nervous you will fall out of position or you are required to use your neck muscles a lot.  With time, the goal is to lengthen, relax, and then strengthen the deep neck muscles.  With a history of injury and distortion, lengthening and relaxing tend to be a more important first step.  In that vein, a brace would be great.  In time, as the neck elongates, strengthening would the your next task.  There are some good exercises in the Appendix or 8 Steps for this.  At that point the brace will be unnecessary.

Best of luck to you.

-Charlene Hannibal

Gokhale Method Teacher, San Francisco/Palo Alto

 

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