Acute spasmodic torticollis, better known as “wry neck”, is a fairly common condition characterised by a sudden loss of neck movement and severe pain. It will ordinarily occur when the head or neck has been in an unusual position for a prolonged period or perhaps when the head moves suddenly from one position to another and associated with a sharp ‘catch’.
Types of wry neck
There are two main types of acute wry neck, either relating to the:
• cervical discs which sit between the bones of the spine become irritated due to prolonged postures. This type of wry neck can take longer to settle down.
• locked facet joints where muscle spasms are often related to sharper movements, the pain is more localised and they take less time to settle down.
Signs and symptoms
• Neck pain
• Neck stiffness
• Pain and stiffness on one side of the neck only
The classic case everyone has heard is waking up after sleeping in an awkward position and able to move the neck due to pain and stiffness. Another common situation is to move the head quickly when blow drying the hair. The common presentation is the inability to bend the neck to one side and rotate in the opposite direction: lateral flexion (tilting away from the pain) and ipsilateral rotation (turning towards the pain).
What can you try at home?
• Gentle movement
• Reduce pain using Panadol or anti-inflammatories (Ibuprofen) and when there is a lot of muscle spasm, heat may be preferred.
• Avoiding prolonged positions and complete immobilisation.
How can physiotherapy help?
• Early diagnosis taking into account individual symptoms and severity
• Recommendations on early symptom relief
• Accelerated recovery through joint mobilisations and muscle release
• Prescription of a tailored home exercise program
• Assessment of the muscles, joints and connective tissues of the neck to prevent the issue occurring again
Whether you develop these symptoms over a period of time, or whether the onset is rapid and highly debilitating, be sure to be proactive in having it assessed by a physiotherapist in order to get back to doing what you love in as little time as possible.
