Stiffness/Pain after neck collar

Hello all,

Posting on behalf of my mother, she suffered a C1 break and has just been given the OK to remove her brace. The consultant didn't mention anything about wearing a soft collar or intermediate support and she's suffering with a lot of stiffness/pain.

Question is - is this likely to be a case of muscles having to adapt to support the neck again & how long would this take to heal up ?

Thanks for any responses,

[S. Kaul, MD]

Hi there!

Yes, this could be due to muscle stiffness, due to prolonged limited movement. You could try seeing a physiotherapist to relieve the muscle spasm, after consulting with her treating doctor.
Hope this helps.

Take care!