I found it very helpful to put a soft foam collar under the hard one. Of course, the restriction is madening but it does cut down on the rubbing and irritation. My surgeon laughed when I went in for my first post op check up and he saw what I had done but said it was a great idea. I had two more cervical surgeries that he performed and when I woke up, there was a soft collar under the hard one.

This can be pretty hot but that is why I just let my airconditioning blast away when I was wearing them. You need two of them as they need to be washed frequently as they can get pretty nasty. You need a fresh one to wear while the other one is drying. Best wishes.