Schanz's collar is a wide "collar" made of soft fabric, encircling the neck and fastening at the back with Velcro. You need to buy it in special orthopedic stores. Advice from experienced staff will help you find the right tool for you.
However, you need to understand that the Shants collar does not cure any disease, but only alleviates the symptoms of spinal diseases or relieves neck tension and fatigue. In other words, it performs the function of crutches. The collar will take on the weight of the head, distributing it to the collarbones and slightly to the base of the neck. Thanks to him, the load is distributed evenly, the muscles, ligaments and tendons on the neck are unloaded, and the head is fixed in the correct position.
What is the use of a collar
The Shants neck collar is useful for relieving pain if one muscle pulls to the side of the neck, causing severe pain. The device will fix the correct position and relieve pain.
After excessive physical exertion, when neck tension and fatigue are felt, an orthopedic collarwill become a reliable assistant to eliminate these symptoms.
Attacks of vertebral artery syndromes, when nausea, headaches or neck pains come on, it is recommended to wear a Shants collar. Indications of general well-being in this case, when the device is worn, may worsen, so you need to listen to your feelings. At the first sign of deterioration, the collar is removed.
How to choose a collar
The Shants collar should not sit too tight around the neck. The feeling of suffocation and strong pressure is excluded. It is very easy to check this. If a finger easily passes between the neck and the device, then the pressure is normal.
It is very important that the collar height is correct. In front, it coincides with the distance from the jaw to the base of the neck, and behind - with the beginning of the cranium. The bottom of the collar rests on the clavicle bones, and the upper part supports the lower jaw in such a way that the head is fixed in a level position. A properly selected device will follow the curves of the body. But a poorly fixed collar will not only not bring relief, but is quite capable of harming. It is strictly forbidden to use it continuously. Frequent removal of stress from the neck will cause the muscles to atrophy, tissues begin to deplete, and the neck will lose its functionality.
Newborn Collar
Quite often, the Shants collar is prescribed for children who need temporary restriction of neck movements. Usually these are babies suffering from torticollis, injurednecks and newborns with birth injuries. Most often, the doctor prescribes a collar for a month immediately after birth, but the second option is also possible. The device is worn constantly, except for moments of bathing. There is no need to be afraid of this, if the doctor prescribes, then there is a need to unload the neck. In newborns, this is often observed. The collar will not slow down the development of the baby, on the contrary, it will limit the movements that cause him pain, relax and restore the movements of the affected muscles.
