Our highly trained physiotherapists are experienced in the treatment of Wry Neck, also known as torticollis. It can be both an acute and chronic condition, and without timely treatment, can cause debilitating pain and reduced functional mobility.
At Vitalis Physiotherapy, the treatment help you to:
Wry neck, or torticollis, presents as a painful neck injury. The neck may be twisted to one side, and movement of the neck is often painful and very limited. You may notice severe muscle spasm, pain, and difficulty turning your head. Even getting out of bed can be painful.
Acute torticollis can last from 7 to 10 days or up to a few weeks. Without treatment, it can develop into a chronic and severe condition and increase the likelihood of recurrence in the future. This can also be known as cervical dystonia or spasmodic torticollis.
In most cases, the causes are unknown. Anything, from a quick, sharp movements, to a sports or nervous system injury can cause a wry neck. Sometimes, previous neck injuries can leave you susceptible to developing an acute torticollis.
Some people can wake up with a feeling of stiffness or pain, which could also end up being a case of torticollis.
Torticollis can also be congenital, developing in the womb and diagnosed at birth or in early childhood.
The most common cause of acute terticollis is a locked facet joint.
Your facet joints guide and limit the movements of your neck. The facet joints allow smooth gliding movements between the adjacent vertebra. Occasionally, your facet joints can become stiff through traumatic injury or arthritis or get stuck with extreme motion.
Signs of the condition:
An injury may also cause an acute wry neck to your intervertebral disc. This condition is known as Discogenic Wry Neck. Usually, the injured disc protrudes posteriorly and presses against surrounding structures and nerves.
Signs of the condition:
It is incredibly important to treat this condition as soon as you can after onset to reduce the severity of your pain and duration of recovery. Physiotherapists are most qualified to carefully unlock joints and mobilise muscles.
At Vitalis Physiotherapy, our experienced physiotherapists specialise in treating acute torticollis and understand how to sensitively reduce pain and optimise your recovery. This can be done through:
Physiotherapy treatment is the most beneficial. Anti-inflammatory medication, rest and heat packs may help some of the symptoms. In severe cases a neck brace or support could also help.
It is also recommended that you do not massage your neck to loosen it up yourself, or to overload it. In doing so, you may make the condition worse, and your neck could lock or seize even more as a result. Try not to push past the pain barrier, and limit any neck movement. Driving with severe acute torticollis is also not advised.
All you need to do is just give us a call on 0410 559 856 and request an initial appointment. Please let our friendly reception staff know the background and severity of your condition.
You can visit our FAQs for more information about appointments at Vitalis Physiotherapy.
If you think that you are suffering from wry neck, or are looking for a ‘physiotherapist near me’, our physios at Vitalis Physiotherapy can assess and diagnose the condition. They may also refer you to get scans in some severe cases to better understand your needs. Your treatment plan will be tailored to your needs to aid in your pain relief and recovery.
All you need to do is just give us a call on 0410 559 856 and request an initial appointment. Please let our friendly reception staff know the background and severity of your condition.
You can visit our FAQs for more information about appointments at Vitalis Physiotherapy.
