There are horse collars, and then there are Q-Collaars.
Gone are the days of neck rolls, neck boards and oversized shoulderpads for NFL linebackers, but the NFL is still finding ways to reduce concussions and protect its players from devastating injuries to the head and neck area.
Guardian caps were one such way, and advances in the technology surrounding helmets are another. During the “Thursday Night Football” matchup between the Chiefs and Chargers, LA linebacker Drue Tranquill was seen wearing a new device that may gain popularity in coming years — if its effects are legitimate.
MORE: What to know about ‘Guardian Caps’
The Q-Collar is a newer device that athletes use to limit the damage of hard hits that may cause concussions and other head injuries.
Th Here’s what to know about the “Q-Collar.”
What is on Drue Tranquill’s neck?
The Chargers linebacker was spotted wearing a device named a Q-Collar. The Q-Collar is an FDA-approved device that is supposedly able to limit head trauma.
Here’s how it works, per the Q-Collar website:
Because the brain floats inside the skull, it moves — sometimes with great force — when the head is exposed to an impact. By applying light pressure to the sides of the neck, the Q-Collar increases blood volume in the brain’s venous structures, reducing the harmful internal movement that causes brain injury.
Essentially, extra blood around the brain operates as almost some kind of pillow, to reduce head injuries.
Prior to the “Thursday Night Football” matchup vs. the Chiefs, Tranquill announced himself as a partner with Q-Collar, and he was spotted wearing one during the Chargers-Chiefs showdown.
I am excited to officially partner with @qcollarofficial to help protect my brain. They are the only FDA cleared device to show a decreased risk for brain injury. Q-Collar gives me the confidence that I’m doing everything within my control to stay healthy for my family & team🧠🔥 pic.twitter.com/OGA0Pz4rRW
— Drue Tranquill (@DTranquill) September 15, 2022
What is a Q-Collar?
The Q-Collar is a small, lightweight necklace-type device to applies a small bit of pressure to the wearer’s internal jugular vein. Inside the plastic frame, is a metal spring that keeps the collar in place.
“This puts a kink on the hose, so the jugular is slower to drain,” Dr. Julian Bailes says. “This kink fills capillaries around the brain with just about a tablespoon of extra blood, stabilizing it almost like bubble wrap.”
Q30, the Q-Collar’s maker, sponsored a study of 284 high school football players in 2018. After a season, 77 percent of athletes who wore the Q-Collar reported no significant changes to the brain, while 73 percent of the athletes who didn’t wear the collar did.
Hits: 0
