Matt Dick, Physiotherapist
DO I HAVE A WRy NECK?
Did you wake up with a sharp pain in your neck, you have less movement than normal (sometimes what feels like none) and something just doesn't feel quite right?
This article will tell you all about wry necks and what you can do to help yourself, and when you should seek physiotherapy treatment for a wry neck.
WHAT IS A WRY NECK? What is TOrticollis?
A good place to start, lets understand what is going on in your neck.
A wry neck can also be called Torticollis of the neck.
This condition is very common affecting approximately 70% of the population (you’re not in this alone).
Usually, an acute wry neck is caused by the facet joints (the small knuckle-like joints in your neck where movement occurs) becoming jammed and stiff.
Another cause of an acute wry neck can be Discogenic irritation and inflammation.
Secondary to this, the muscles in your neck become tight and go into a protective spasm. This is what leads to your lack of movement in your neck when you have a wry neck.
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF A WRY NECK?
Generally, a wry neck is easy to diagnose due to its prominent symptoms.
Essentially your head will be sitting in a funny position, most commonly moving away from the pain. You might feel like your neck is fixed in a flexed and rotated position.
PAIN - localized to the neck area and will stay there (normally will not travel to your shoulder). It is sharp and specific and most likely the more you do the sorer it gets.
LOSS OF MOVEMENT - a reduction to your range of motion will occur, it is normally one sided.
MUSCLE SPASM - you might feel like the surrounding neck muscles tighten up and begin to spasm.
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WHY DID THIS HAPPEN TO ME? WHAT CAUSES A WRY NECK?
This may leave you feeling annoyed and frustrated questioning what you did to deserve this pain. But, plain and simply, an acute wry neck can happen for no good reason at all. We call this idiopathic.
However, some of the more common reasons for a wry neck to present are:
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Trauma or injury to the neck
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Poor sleep posture
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Inflammation of the joints or soft tissues
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Weakness of the deep neck muscles
HOW CAN A LOCAL PHYSIO HELP WITH YOUR NECK PAIN?
THANKFULLY, there is a lot that a physiotherapist can do. A physiotherapist should be able to help reduce your symptoms and improve your range of motion across the course of a couple of treatment sessions. What you can expect from your treatment sessions is outlined below.
First and foremost an appropriate diagnosis is needed (you want to rule out any other sinister conditions).
Following this, your physiotherapist might employ some of the following strategies to help REDUCE YOUR PAIN and INCREASE YOUR MOVEMENT.
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Manual therapy (joint mobilization)
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Soft tissue massage
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Exercise and Range of motion stretches
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Advice and education
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WHAT CAN YOU DO FOR YOUR WRY NECK PAIN IN MELBOURNE?
Aside from seeing a physiotherapist, there is plenty you can do at home to REDUCE your neck pain. These include:
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Use a heat pack
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Gentle neck stretches (lots of small movements)
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Self massage
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Avoid the aggravating positions
HOW LONG UNTIL YOU FEEL BETTER FOLLOWING A WRY NECK INJURY?
You can expect that the symptoms of an acute wry neck will improve substantially in the first few days.
With the help of physiotherapy you will notice your pain reducing and your range of motion increasing.
You may have some persisting deficits for the following couple of weeks however you should not have ongoing symptoms and we will endeavor to help you get back to your highest level of function.
If you think you could be suffering from an acute wry neck, or Torticollis, please reach out and we'll be able to guide you through the most effective treatment path.
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LEARN How OUR MELBOURNE SPORTS PHYSIO TEAM can help you?
At Melbourne Sports Physiotherapy our goal is to get you moving pain free as soon as possible.
But, we also want you to actually move better and live a healthier, more active and fulfilling life!
If your sports, fitness training or work has been wearing your body down, book in with one of our expert massage therapists so we can help you reduce your pain or stiffness.
If you are showing some signs of this condition or simply want help prevent this from happening in the future then book in with one of our highly experienced Remedial Massage Therapists today!
You can make an appointment by calling or booking online.
BOOK ONLINE NOW TO FIX YOUR PAIN