The Aspen collar padding can be washed by hand and attaches to the inside with hook and loop fasteners.

Many patients regain the movement in their neck through natural recovery and gentle movement throughout the day. The neck muscles may initially feel weak or stiff after the doctor tells you that you can stop wearing the collar, but this usually recovers naturally.If there is no deleterious effect on the clinical outcome, do the differences observed between the collars really matter? The Aspen and Philadelphia collars were superior to the Aspen Vista, Miami-J and Miami-J Advanced collars at restricting flexion/extension. The Aspen Vista collar was inferior to all the other collars at restricting lateral bending movements while the Aspen collar appeared to be the most effective at restricting movement in this plane. In an effort to minimise observer bias, the bony landmarks used were readily palpable and easily identifiable, and marker placement was conducted by the same person.

Subjects of both sexes, with no known history of spinal pathology or injury, were recruited to the study. The markers were converted to a three dimensional image using the QTM software and the head and trunk rigid bodies defined such that their movements could be described relative to each other; this movement reflecting gross motion of the cervical spine.

Wearing a collar may cause some weakness of the muscles around your neck, as the collar will essentially be doing some of the work of these muscles. The cervical collar works by reducing the ability to move your neck, giving a degree of reduced mobility of your head and neck. It is important to keep your arms and legs moving to improve blood flow, and prevent them from becoming stiff or developing blood clots. However, if you see any new discharge, redness or swelling from the wound, or find that the collar is causing irritation to the wound, please contact your doctor or specialist nurse for further advice.

Aspen Cervical Collar provides excellent support and comfort, two key components for better patient outcomes. Ensure the collar feels in the same position as it was prior to removal and tighten the straps evenly on each side if necessary. It is very important that you only remove the neck collar to wash your child’s neck if your doctor has allowed it. There was no tracking information supplied so I couldn't see where it was so ended up contacting the supplier for up-dates.If your child needed to wear their collar for 24 hours a day without removing it, after the collar is taken off the skin may be dry and itchy. Although a collar may provide exceptional stability, if it is uncomfortable to wear then non-compliance becomes an issue. The collar should rest comfortably against your body, with only the padded areas touching your skin. Your physiotherapist or nurse will also teach you individually how to take care of your collar and practice how to use the collar before you are discharged. Regular simple analgesia (such as paracetamol and ibuprofen) usually helps with this, and should be taken as per package instructions.

Replace the back section of the collar by sliding it under the neck until there is an equal amount of the collar visible either side. Covering the collar with a thin waterproof material (such as cling film) may help to prevent it getting wet whilst you are washing your hair, or, you can remove, dry, and change the pads (using the methods described above) after you have finished showering. Not being able to turn or shake your head may seem unusual, but limiting the motion of your neck is an important part of your treatment and will prevent further damage. Each has their advantages and disadvantages, but the fact that so many techniques and systems exist suggests that the optimal method to measure cervical spine motion has yet to be found. Using a radiographic method, the effectiveness of the collar in restricting motion was evaluated for the cervical spine as a whole and for constituent segments, occiput to C7, in 15 normal volunteers.

The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne accepts no responsibility for any inaccuracies, information perceived as misleading, or the success of any treatment regimen detailed in these handouts.