Diagnosis and Treatment of Acute Torticollis

Neck pain Many people appreciate sleeping with fans on or windows open to allow the cool breeze in at night.  Yet, what we don’t appreciate is the crooked, painful neck we could wake up with the next morning; a common phenomenon that happens when “sleeping wrong.”

In Latin, torticollis literally means “twisted neck”.

That is exactly what patients suffering from torticollis look like.  Their neck feels stuck in a twisted position and their head is tilted to one side.  This condition, while painful and sometimes scary to the unsuspecting victim, is most often due to muscle spasms that prevent normal ranges of motion and cause sharp pain.

The good news is that torticollis is easily treated through chiropractic care.

After your chiropractor performs a thorough exam to rule out any other underlying causes, the care usually consists of neck and upper back adjustments to ensure proper joint movement.  Treatment may also consist of interferential muscle stimulation and/or myofascial release from a licensed chiropractic therapy assistant to relax muscles and provide some pain relief.   When patients are ready, stretches and exercises are introduced to help prevent the return of the unwelcome affliction.

Often times torticollis can stick around for one to two weeks, so early intervention is helpful in a speedy recovery!

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