Shoulder And Neck Stretcher Collar - Relief of Chronic Pain through Alignment of Neck and Shoulders

Your neck has been holding your head up all day

A human head weighs roughly as much as a bowling ball, and every degree you tilt it forward over a screen adds to the leverage your neck and shoulders have to work against. By evening you feel that as tightness across the tops of the shoulders and a stiffness that will not quite let go.

This collar applies gentle traction. Three stacked air chambers sit on your shoulders and press upward against the base of your skull and the underside of your jaw, so that for a few minutes the collar carries some of your head's weight instead of the muscles that have been carrying it since breakfast. You decide how much lift by how much air you put in.

Read this before you order

Traction is not appropriate for every neck. If you have a diagnosed neck or spine condition, have had neck surgery, are dealing with an injury, or have neck pain you have not had looked at, speak to a clinician who knows your history before using this. They are the right person to say whether traction suits your neck; a product page is not.

Take it off straight away, and speak to a clinician before using it again, if you get:

• Sharp pain, rather than a mild stretch
• Dizziness or light-headedness
• Numbness or tingling in the arms or hands
• Any change in your vision
• Any sense that your breathing is restricted

The hand pump bulb is made of latex. If you have a latex allergy, this is not the product for you.

You control how much

The three chambers are fed from one hand bulb through a tube that branches into three, so they fill together and the lift stays even across the stack. Squeeze the bulb slowly. Start with far less air than you expect to want, and add pressure gradually until you feel a mild, comfortable stretch rather than a strain.

Each chamber meets the tube at its own metal eyelet, and a ball valve holds the air in once you stop pumping, so the bulb can be unclipped and set aside rather than left dangling while you sit. To come down, open the small metal valve on the bulb and let the air out slowly.

Soft enough to actually keep on

The collar is covered in soft flocked fabric, which matters because a traction device you find unpleasant is one you use twice and abandon. Hook-and-loop tabs let you set the circumference to your own neck first, so that the air adds stretch rather than fighting a collar that was already too tight. Fitted properly it supports under the jaw and the base of the skull without pressing on your throat. If it feels like it is constricting your breathing, it is too tight or sitting too low — let air out and reposition rather than pushing through it.

What you get

• One inflatable traction collar of three stacked air chambers, in soft flocked fabric
• A latex hand bulb with a metal release valve, on a tube that branches to all three chambers
• Hook-and-loop tabs to set the fit before you add any air
• Five colours: blue, coffee, red, purple or gray
• Rolls up small when deflated, so it stores in a drawer and travels in a bag

A sensible first session

• Fit it uninflated. Fasten the tabs so the collar sits comfortably with no air in it yet. Snug, not tight.
• Add a little air. Pump slowly. Stop at the first point where you feel a gentle lengthening — that is the working range, not the maximum the collar can reach.
• Keep it short. Start with just a few minutes, sitting somewhere supported. Build up over sessions rather than in one go.
• Release gradually. Open the valve and let the air out slowly rather than all at once, then give your neck a moment before standing.

Mostly people who sit

Long hours at a monitor, where the head drifts forward and the shoulders quietly take the load. The same problem in a smaller package, repeated across a day on a phone. And the stiffness that arrives after a long flight, a bad pillow, or a night in an unfamiliar bed.

Frequently asked questions

Should I check with a doctor first?

Yes, if you have a diagnosed neck or spine condition, have had neck surgery, or are dealing with an injury. Traction is not appropriate for every neck problem, and a clinician who knows your history is the right person to say whether it suits yours.

What if it hurts?

Stop. Mild stretch is the intended sensation. Sharp pain, dizziness, numbness, tingling in the arms or any change in vision means take it off and speak to a clinician before using it again.

How long should I wear it?

Begin with a few minutes and increase gradually across sessions if it stays comfortable. Longer is not better, and falling asleep in it is not the goal.

How tightly should I inflate it?

Much less than most people first assume. You are looking for gentle lengthening, not maximum lift — over-inflating is the most common way people give themselves a sore session.

Do I have to hold the pump the whole time?

No. The valve holds the air once you stop squeezing, so you can unclip the bulb and put it down. Keep it within reach, because it is also how you let the air back out.

Will it fit my neck?

The hook-and-loop tabs cover a broad range of neck sizes. Set the fit before adding air, and re-check the tab position if you have changed clothing layers.

How do I care for it?

Wipe the flocked surface with a slightly damp cloth and let it dry fully before storing. Store it deflated and rolled, away from direct heat and sharp objects.