Dr. Bob's Portable Neck Traction Device for Pain Relief - Adjustable Cervical Spine Alignment Support (Medium Size) - Perfect for Home Use, Office & Travel Neck Pain Therapy

Like many customers I read the reviews before ordering this product. I did see that many customers complained that the product smelled like gasoline or grease upon receiving it. Because I had a used older version of the product, given to me by a friend several years ago I was doubting that the item could stink like gasoline. Mine did not though my friend is now deceased and I can’t ask her if hers did when she originally bought it. I just know that when I got it from her it did not stink. But since it is old and worn from use, I opted to buy another and also got an extra for a Christmas gift. Sadly, when they arrived and I opened both wrappings, the smell was absolutely awful! Both reeked quite strongly of gasoline and oil and had some kind of powderlike coating on them. I tried a couple times to get a person at Helio Living, the company that sells it. I left a message for someone to call me back- but noone ever did. So I called them again and finally talked to a woman in retail who informed me I should clean the product to decrease the smell. She said to try soap or rubbing alcohol. Firstly, no one should have to clean a newly bought item! I did to no avail. Firstly, they are hard to wash because you can’t immerse them due to the velcro. When I tried to wipe in between the layers, it tore a hole in the rubber part that connects each layer. The rubbing alcohol just made it stink worse. Also the little blue strip of cloth that is suppose to cover the layer that goes under your chin, does not fit because it doesn’t stretch far enough to cover the layer. So I reported all this to Amazon and recommended they stop selling this product! I cannot say whether the product received works or not because I did not want to put it on nor send it as the intended Christmas gift due to the smell and greasy powder film on both and the other issues I have stated here. I can say that the older one I had, given to me by tha friend years ago, is made with a higher quality and worked great to ease my neck discomfort. Perhaps there are folk out there who don’t mind the awful odor and would benefit from this lesser quality product.I've used the Dr. Bob's traction collar on and off for a few years now. It provides traction that relieves my neck pain. Overall I find it very helpful (which is why I'm still using it), but it does have a few flaws.1) As other reviewers have noted, it does have a strong tar/petroleum smell, although that does go away after a couple of months.2) It puts pressure on the lower jaw that can be uncomfortable. Probably this varies from person to person, based on their particular physique. For me, it's annoying, but a small issue compared to the neck pain relief.3) As other reviewers have noted, the hose connecting the device to the air pump is cheaply made. It will likely spring a leak after several months of use. However, you can usually fix this with duct tape. Alternatively, for a few bucks you can purchase a short length of replacement rubber hose at your hardware store. Irritating? Yes. But, contrary to what other reviewers have said, if you're willing to spend a few minutes repairing the one you've got, you probably won't have to buy a new one.Overall, this product certainly isn't perfect. But in a field with few good options, this one gets the job done relatively well, relatively conveniently, and at a reasonable price (for medical equipment).This works. I have a compressed disc with arthritis in my neck, I bought it because of a nerve being pinched, it worked, it help relieve the pain and stopped my arm from going numb. You can use it daily if you wish but I don't, I use it only when I feel the need. At the same time I bought this one, I. Bought another that was softer. It too works but not as well. Both items have a smell about them, it does dissipate in time but not very quickly. If you buy one, I would let it air out a day or two before trying it if your prone to sinusitis or react badly to strong odors. I bought the regular size and it seems to fit well. Some people might find it too snug but for it to work well it had to be snug enough to do the job but not so tight you choke your self, it has Velcro that over laps on the layers to secure, it's a bit if a nuisance trying to get it on and off but nothing major. I have even left some of it unhooked without any trouble,The neck stretcher really helped relieve neck tension and seemed to even help with my migraines. After about 2 yrs the bulb to blow it up dried out and it became unusable.I have been recommending Dr. Bob's inflatable traction units to my patients for years. Recently, two patients showed me an expensive traction device that they purchased online to decrease symptoms relating to nerve compression in their neck. One patient had a panic attack because he couldn't get out of the unit and there wasn't anyone to help him. Another complained that it was too difficult to use. The units were also very expensive. They both purchased Dr. Bob's collars instead which provided symptom relief as well as ease of use.Was having some neck cervical issues, and this exact tool was one of the items used by my chiropractor, for lighter cervical traction that doesn't need their big rig. So after using it a few times there, I came to Amazon to see if they had the same thing (Dr. Bob's), and they did.It works really well for me, relieves my neck-related headaches I'd been getting. And my Chiro has been pleased with my progress. I'd give it five stars but the smell is atrocious. It was better after I washed it with some dish soap (some oily film on it seemed to be the main culprit). But I still don't keep it in the house- I keep it in a separate, closed bonus room where it stays out of sight.