Shants's collar is a wide "collar" made of soft fabric, encircling the neck and fastened with Velcro on the back. You need to buy it in special orthopedic stores. Consultations of experienced staff will help you choose the device that is right for you.
However, it must be understood that the Shants collar does not cure any disease, but only alleviates the symptoms of spinal diseases or relieves tension and neck fatigue. In other words, it serves as crutches. The collar will take on the weight of the head, distributing it on the clavicle and slightly on 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?
Shants's cervical collar is useful for relieving pain in the event that one muscle pulls the neck to the side, causing severe pain. The device will fix the correct position and relieve pain.
After excessive physical exertion, when you feel tension and fatigue of the neck, the orthopedic collar will become a reliable assistant to eliminate these symptoms.
Attacks of vertebral artery syndromes, when nausea, headaches, or neck pains roll over, it is recommended to wear a Shants collar. Indications of overall well-being in this case, when the device is worn, may deteriorate, so you need to listen to your feelings. At the first sign of deterioration, the collar is removed.
How to choose a collar
Shants Collar should not sit too tight around the neck. Sensation of suffocation and strong pressure is excluded. Check it out is very simple. 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 in the back, with the beginning of the cranium. The bottom of the collar rests against the clavicle, and the upper part props the lower jaw in such a way that the head is fixed in an even position. A correctly selected device will repeat the bends of the body. But a poorly fixed collar will not only not bring relief, but it is quite capable of harm. Constantly using it is strictly prohibited. Frequent removal of stress from the neck will cause the muscles to atrophy, the tissues to become depleted, and the neck will lose its functionality.
Collar for newborns
Quite often, the Shants collar is assigned to children who need a temporary restriction of neck movements. Usually these are babies suffering from torticollis, injured neck and newborns with birth injuries. Most often, the doctor appoints a collar for a month immediately after birth, but the second option is also possible. The device is worn constantly, except when bathing. It is not necessary to be afraid of this, if the doctor prescribes, then there is a need to relieve 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 give him pain, relax and restore the movements of the affected muscles.