Wry Neck (Torticollis)
What Is Wry Neck?
Wry neck, also known as torticollis, is a condition where the neck seizes up on one side and it is difficult to look over your shoulder. It happens when one of the intervertebral joints connecting the vertebrae in the spine becomes fixated or stuck. Usually these joints are well lubricated with joint fluid but sometimes if they are subject to undue pressure, the joint can get stuck which makes it difficult and painful to move the neck in a certain direction. Wry neck is a neck pain that most people will have experienced to a degree and is something that can be resolved quickly at The Physiotherapy Place.
Why Does Wry Neck Happen?
Most people have experienced wry neck at some point in their lives, most often it happens upon waking when the neck is generally at its stiffest as we have been relatively inactive throughout the night. Because of this, most people associate wry neck with a poor pillow but this is rarely the case. More often a stiffness will have been gradually building up in one of the joints in the neck over time, usually due to poor posture at a desk or in the car, and then the joint is compressed further by the position of the head in bed which causes the joint to become stuck.
Can Torticollis Be Cured?
Yes wry neck can always be fully resolved. People who get recurrent wry neck need to get to the bottom of what is causing the pressure on the neck in the first place. If this isn’t addressed then it is likely that this will be a problem that keeps occurring.
How Long Does It Take For Torticollis To Go Away?
With the correct treatment wry can be resolved within days. Sometimes there can be accompanying nerve irritation that causes muscle spasm around the neck and shoulder blade so if this is the case it can take slightly longer to settle down. If your pain is still there after a couple of weeks then there might be something else going on.
How Do You Sleep With A Wry Neck?
The important thing is to have plenty of support for your neck and head. Ideally your neck should be in a neutral position, that is not leaning to the left or right, or tilted forward or back. This means that the joints shouldn’t be under too much pressure. If you can’t find a comfortable position when lying flat, try propping your head and shoulders up on a few pillows so that your upper body is on an incline, this can often help to relieve pressure on the neck.
What Will A Physio Do?
After diagnosing the problem, I always use a hands on approach to treat wry neck:
If a joint is stuck then we can manually mobilise the bones to free the joint up in a gentle manner. This will quickly restore movement in the joint and allow you to move your head further and without pain.
Any muscle spasm around the neck and shoulder can be treated with soft tissue release and dry needling or Gunn IMS.
Some education on posture and a tailored exercise program will be given to you to help prevent future flare ups.
With this approach, most cases of wry neck will resolve fully and quickly.