Neck Relief

Ok, so we are going to be looking at some products I get asked a lot about while in practice. I know most people out there are on the computer a lot and have neck pain. Everyone is always looking for a cheap solution to fixing it, while there is honestly no substitution for diet, exercise, and chiropractic care. I will be going more in-depth to give you my reviews of these common neck traction devices.

We are going to be breaking them down into affordability, ease of use solo, quality, and effectiveness.

MOJO Neck Head Hammock

OK OK OK now this is one of the things I get asked the most about, the neck hammock! I probably get asked a lot about this because it looks kinda funny and there are a lot of viral videos of it on social media. Now few words on this before we get started, this one out of all the devices pull your head forward when using it, ( just look at the pictures on amazon ) and that in itself is not a good thing, most of your posture is hunched forward, from typing and writing and reading and working at a desk, this is what got you into the neck pain situation, to begin with, there’s also the factor that you are further stretching the muscles in the back of the neck forward thus weakening the neck. BUT after all that, the price is cheap and i can see how it does feel like “ someone is cradling your neck” and you can increase the pull a lot more with it if you just move a bit forward. So let’s get into the criteria. 

Review

Affordability 3/5 Again this guy is under 20$ (check amazon for current price)  very affordable so no real surprises here, it does vary by brand but its all the same device from china just different names on the box.   So it can range from 20-50 depending on what brand you like.

Ease of use solo 2.5/5 Again this one is probably the “hardest”  of the bunch to use since you have to have a doorknob that it can easily fit on, not the end of the world, most of us have doors, but it’s a bit awkward to use if you are on trips, in the car, or out at a place with rounded door knobs, it’s also a bit awkward to keep in on the door handle so I give it low marks for that. 

Quality of materials 4/5 It’s not a super complex item and it’s solidly built, but most of the items on the list are all about the same material.

Effectiveness 3.5/5 I’m giving this above-average marks on the effectiveness because the pull is probably the strongest with this product, and it does feel like a “good stretch” but its not the best for the reasons I mentioned in the initial paragraph, it’s not going to be a long term solution like they market, but it can help take a bit of tension out of the neck with some casual use.

Zabrina Chiropractic Pillow

Now, this is billed as a “chiropractic pillow”. I’ll be honest right off the bat, I know lots of chiropractors and I have not seen one chiropractor ever use it in his office. So, I’m a bit skeptical that this has anything to do with chiropractic. I tested this item and it has a good solid build and you can lay on it. Either way, the premise is to push a bit of curve into your neck and extend it back opening up the neck while stretching it. This product might be a hard fit for someone with acute neck pain and having a hard time laying down on the ground, as most of my older patients do. The problem is your neck is going to move back a bit. If it’s too painful to even extend your head back this is going to be a challenge.

Verdict

Affordability 4/5 The Zabrina chiropractic pillow costs just around 14$ (check amazon for the latest price), this is about average with most of these neck items. They are generally going to be pretty low cost.

Ease of use solo 5/5 Very easy to use. It’s a tiny bit confusing which end is up. However, it’s an easy set up overall. It is not going to be easy to use in bed because it will wobble a bit. Word of caution, if you are having a hard time getting up and down off the ground and can’t extend your head back, the ease of use is going to be 0/5. This is because you will have to set it up under your neck and move the thing around a bit to get it in the right spot. If you are younger and just have “tightness” in your neck, then it will be easy to use.

Quality of materials 3.5/5 Solidly build. I mean, it’s made of one piece of plastic and foam. Nothing broke while using it and it feels like it’s made from sturdy plastic. Then again, I’m not a big person. If you are bigger and put a lot of weight on the device I could see it bending a bit.

Effectiveness 2.5/5 Now, this is where the Zabrina chiropractic pillow is lacking. it achieves more of a passive light stretch of the neck and it doesn’t feel like its doing much in my opinion. Most of the benefits will come from just laying on your back and letting your shoulders drop down a bit. I didn’t see much “chiropractic” in the product either. It’s just marketing jargon, so be wise.

BRANFIT Neck Traction Device

OK next up is the neck collar traction device so basically this is a device you put around your neck and then you pump it up with air to help pull up on the neck to open up the discs and take the pressure off the neck. NOW again like all these devices you should know what kind of neck pain you have going on before doing this, if you have ligament damage you can stretch them more and cause a bit more pain, but besides some inherent risks with it, it’s not too bad, now this has some drawbacks also, it’s not very strong if you are smaller and don’t have a big neck  (say a 110 pounds- 170 pounds) then it should be ok on the pull, but if you are bigger and have tighter neck muscles it won’t pull enough to give relief. Also, it can straighten your neck out a bit more and like I said earlier cause a bit of pain when you are done with it if you have some ligament or muscle damage ( I normally see someone trying to use this after a car accident and its not working because of the above reasons). So having said all that we are going to jump into the criteria 

Verdict

Affordability 4.5/5  It costs just around 16$ (check amazon for the latest price) so nothing too drastic as far as price is concerned … it gets good marks

Ease of use solo 4/5 not the hardest thing to figure out but it does take a bit of work, you have to make sure its tight enough and strapped in on the back or as you pump it and it expands it will become loose and not push up on the head properly and not help. 

Quality of materials 3.5/5 Again it’s a blastic bladder that you pump one, so it’s fairly solid and hard to break, just make sure you don’t accidentally poke it with something sharp and then it will deflate and you will look like one of those spitting lizards from Jurassic Park. 

Effectiveness 4/5 This isn’t going to be a long term solution you need to strengthen those muscles and fix your posture and see a chiropractor for that, but it can offer some immediate relief in some cases, it does work pretty good if you have a “hot disc” or a “pinched nerve”  in your neck it can help pull open those bones and give some relief, but it won’t last. I do use this in my office occasionally to give to someone so they have something to use at home that gives some relief so they can sleep a bit better. 

Final Verdict

SO? WHAT DOES ALL THIS MEAN?? In real terms, if you want something lite, motivates you to lay down on the floor, and relax, then get it. If you want something that’s going to give you “immediate relief “ of your neck pain, go to a real chiropractor.

This item is probably the most popular online, it’s not quite  a “cure-all” as they try to make it out to be, you shouldn’t with certain types of neck pain like pain when you look down, this will cause a bit more pain, but if your pain is more when you look up it will give you some relief but will weaken the muscles in the back and thus perpetuating the problem, but from a purely product-related standpoint it’s an ok buy if you have pain when looking up/back or just want to feel like someone is holding your neck ( maybe you are into that no judgment. )