• Reference Number: HEY821/2025
• Departments: Neurology and Neurosurgery
• Last Updated: 31 March 2025

When you remove your collar it is normal to experience some pain and stiffness down your neck and radiating across your shoulders.

It is advisable to keep your collar for a short while to wear as this may help alleviate any pain. Simple pain relief medication is advised for the first two weeks. It may be easier for you to gradually build up the length of time you do not wear your collar. Alternatively you may feel you do not require any further collar support, and you can discard your collar following your discharge appointment.

	Rotation: 2 to 3 repeats, 3 times daily.
	Flexion and extension: 2 to 3 repeats, 3 times daily.
	Lateral flexion: 2 to 3 repeats, 3 times daily.

If you experience any new numbness or tingling in arms, hand or fingers, or if you begin to experience any acute increasing neck pain within the first 4 weeks you need to contact us. Following this time you will need to contact your doctor.

Should you require further advice on the issues contained in this sheet, please do not hesitate to contact the department Monday to  Friday, 8.00am to 4.00pm;  tel: 01482 674369 or Out of hours tel: 01482 674248 for  Ward 4.

General Advice and Consent

Most of your questions should have been answered by this leaflet, but remember that this is only a starting point for discussion with the healthcare team.

Consent to treatment

Before any doctor, nurse or therapist examines or treats you, they must seek your consent or permission. In order to make a decision, you need to have information from health professionals about the treatment or investigation which is being offered to you. You should always ask them more questions if you do not understand or if you want more information.

The information you receive should be about your condition, the alternatives available to you, and whether it carries risks as well as the benefits. What is important is that your consent is genuine or valid. That means:

• you must be able to give your consent
• you must be given enough information to enable you to make a decision
• you must be acting under your own free will and not under the strong influence of another person

Information about you

We collect and use your information to provide you with care and treatment. As part of your care, information about you will be shared between members of a healthcare team, some of whom you may not meet. Your information may also be used to help train staff, to check the quality of our care, to manage and plan the health service, and to help with research. Wherever possible we use anonymous data.

We may pass on relevant information to other health organisations that provide you with care. All information is treated as strictly confidential and is not given to anyone who does not need it. If you have any concerns please ask your doctor, or the person caring for you.

Under the General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018 we are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of any information we hold about you. For further information visit the following page: Confidential Information about You.

If you or your carer needs information about your health and wellbeing and about your care and treatment in a different format, such as large print, braille or audio, due to disability, impairment or sensory loss, please advise a member of staff and this can be arranged.