Back in Red Deer working in the ER when someone came in for whiplash the doctors would sometimes prescribe a neck brace. One older doctor would say in a very sympathetic voice to me, "I think so-and-so in bed 15 NEEDS a neck brace. Could you fix one up for him?" I soon learned what he meant by that, as he explained it thoroughly one day. Those who got the neck braces were the ones who they aren't really hurt but want sympathy as well as possibly an insurance claim. So, to "fix" them, we gave them neck braces more to make them look like an idiot and make them happy, since they weren't really hurt. A neck brace doesn't do anything, except maybe give your neck a rest for a couple days (which lying on the couch will do just as well). But the healing is more in the sympathy received following the "injury".
So, next time you see someone in a foam neck brace, give them a big bear hug and tell them how sorry you are for their injury. It'll do wonders for their healing!
