Neck Injury
Dear Earth Clinic,
Any suggestions for neck injury please? Possible whiplash. I am immune compromised and can't go to the hospital, if I caught something, and had to cough, I would not survive even a cough. And I cant do surgery because I cant do antiiobiotics. I cant even do IV or blood pressure strap. So I need healing at home. It is whiplash, and possible bulging neck disc, and also torn ligaments and tendons in the neck. Pain on scale of 1 to 10 is far past 12. There is no position that relieves the pain. I do not have any help, so I am having to take care of myself. I need to completely immobilize my head and neck, so that the tendons and ligaments can start to heal. Any suggestions of an exact brand of cervical neck brace I should order? I am on welfare, so cheapest price is best. I need both a soft neck brace and a solid neck brace. I am a xxsmall adult and might need child size. I tried looking up on amazon, but am in too much pain to read thru all of the comments to find a comfy, small brace. The pain is in the back of neck, slightly to the right of the cervical spine, and up to the bottom of skull and now radiating to shoulder. It is almost impossible to lay down, or go from lay down, to get up. My muscles are spasming, and I havent gone to the bathroom in over a week, because my muscles wont relax. thank you for your help!
California
08/23/2025
Hi Stephanie,
I have a few suggestions for your consideration, as it sounds like there is more than just one issue involved.
As a gentle topical pain reliever and spinal health aid, melatonin lotion (ML) may be useful. Here is a link that describes three friends who made ML for their various back and neck pain issues and also describes how to make it yourself :
https://www.earthclinic.com/supplements/melatonin-lotion.html
For the tendon and ligament issues I discuss a friend who found great relief for torn tendons and ligaments from a simple remedy as described here :
https://www.earthclinic.com/cures/collagen-for-torn-ligaments.html
Just in case there is any arthritis involvement, as there often is, I describe how to make Borax Lotion (BL) as I used for a friend to complete pain relief in a relatively short period of time :
https://www.earthclinic.com/remedies/borax-lotion.html
In case there is any degenerative disc disease (DDD) involvement as there sometimes is, I describe a simple two part remedy that has shown itself to be quite effective here :
https://www.earthclinic.com/cures/ddd-art-solbrig.html
I think you will also find it useful to read the comments sections that follow each article
to get an idea of how these remedies worked for friends and the EC community!
Let me know if you have any questions.
Art
NJ
08/24/2025
dear Art and earth clinic,
thank you, I just ordered the dr emil collagen capsules.
Please suggest a neck brace, maybe a firm one, for my tiny adult neck. its unbearable to move even a milimeter. and the weight of my head is unbearable. maybe firm, not foam. least expensive, maybe child size or xxsmall adult, thank you
Illinois, USA
08/23/2025
If it were me, I would take the neck "injury" as a signpost aimed at what I needed to do regarding all of the other issues and do one thing, repeatedly.
What I would do is apply Christopher's Complete Tissue and Bone to the back of my neck and as far down my spine as I could comfortably reach - even if it's just a tiny bit - every few hours for several days.
In addition, I would be sure to stay hydrated with plain water and sleep whenever possible to get out of the body's way as it tackles my issues which may all be only one single issue.
As my ability to reach downward from the neck improved, I would also apply the ointment as far down the top of my spine as far as I could. I'd do that for a few days and then take a day of rest, sleeping as much as possible, and then repeat.
I would also expect and celebrate some profound improvement in my condition very early on and not think such improvement was "good enough but would keep applying the ointment, even if I came to feel extra good very quickly, until I naturally forgot about it.
I would not be alarmed or disappointed if it seemed to stop working, either. Your body is going to tackle its most serious issues once you're mobile and able to find food and clean water on your own and will return to the area once it has resolved the more serious issues. Serious issues of which you may not even be aware. For instance, something like kidney and/or liver damage which is very common in those who have had any sort of issue over a long period of time.
California
08/24/2025
Hi Stephanie,
I don't have a recommendation for the neck brace/support.
I do think the melatonin lotion (ML) will be useful in addition to the collagen if you are going to go after tendon issues in your neck area because among many other benefits that melatonin offers, it offers pain relief and it also helps in tendon repair and protection via other means than collagen as discussed here :
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7714296/
Here is a relevant quote from the link :
' Exogenous melatonin application in overuse tendinopathy reduces oxidative stress and inflammation. Melatonin might be an alternative potential molecule to corticosteroids in the treatment of chronic tendinopathy. '
Melatonin also has multiple spinal reparative effects including nerve repair and disc protective effects as discussed here :
https://www.earthclinic.com/cures/melatonin-spine-health.html
Since the methods of action of melatonin are different than collagen, this suggests potential synergy between the two in terms of tendon health. Another benefit of melatonin is that it increases collagen synthesis as discussed here :
Here is a relevant quote from the link :
' An increase in intracellular collagen additionally suggests that melatonin treatment increases collagen synthesis, but not collagen catabolism, dependent on MMP-2. '
Art
NJ
08/25/2025
Dear Earth Clinic and Art,
I would like to try the melatonin lotion. Anything to stop the pain, and start healing.
I am unable to handle taking melatonin internally. I cant even take 1 mg. But would like to try the lotion.
What is the link to your melatonin lotion recipe?
I am sensitive to chemical ingredients, so the most natural recipe is best. My liver and kidneys are barely functioning, so I dont filter out toxins, so I have to be careful about what I ingest, and also what I put on my skin topically. I dont use store bought lotions, I use things like castor oil and coconut oil and shea butter.
I cant move much, so I will do my best to make it, or at least to order the supplies today.
Thank you so much!
California
08/25/2025
Hi Stephanie,
If less "other ingredients ", is important, it would be better to make melatonin gel because aloe vera gel has much less other ingredients in it than lotion. I use it on my face, but it is useful for more sensitive area such as for hemorrhoids. Here is how I make melatonin gel :
https://www.earthclinic.com/supplements/melatonin-gel.html
1. Use a 3 oz. bottle with a flip top lid or similar for dispensing the finished gel.
2. I add 1 oz. of gin to the bottle.
3. I add 1/4 level full baker's measuring teaspoon of melatonin powder to the bottle, replace the lid and shake the bottle until the melatonin is fully dissolved and looks clear again and then remove the lid. Notice the one marked 1/4 tsp/1.25 ml in this set that bakers use filled level with the top of the spoon as shown here :
4. I add two ounces of Aloe Vera Gel to the bottle, replace the lid and shake the bottle very well until the gel is well mixed. The gel is now ready for use. Look at the bottle closely and you will see a mark at the 3 ounce level which I use as a guide to know when I have put enough aloe vera gel in the bottle. Filling with aloe vera gel to this mark will leave me enough air space in the bottle to shake well until the gel thickens again.
Bottles
Aloe Vera Gel
Gin
I use an inexpensive gin from a local market.
Melatonin Powder
This bag of melatonin powder will make over 25 - 3 ounce bottles of melatonin gel for me.
I apply the gel sparingly up to twice a day or to tolerance. I make sure to apply all the way up to the base of my skull on the neck and down to below the bottom of my neck when I have neck pain.
This is what I do. I am not a doctor, so if you intend to try this, because of your liver and kidneys barely functioning, you need to check with your doctor first to make sure it is safe for you and compatible with any medications you may be using. Melatonin applied in this manner can go systemic, so it is very important to get your doctor's approval and supervision!
Art
