Twisted Neck Treatment

Twisting of the neck to one side is medically referred to as Torticollis or wry neck. It is a common condition that occurs when the muscles that hold the neck and aid in its movement are affected.

The symptoms may ease out naturally over a few days while it may require longer duration and medical treatment in severe cases. Twisted Neck is a commonly reported cause of pain in young people, although it may affect anybody irrespective of age or gender. The person may not necessarily have a past history of neck injury or pain.

How to fix a twisted neck

Looking down at your computer monitor all day can cause the muscles around the neck joints to tire and become overstretched. Driving for long periods of time or looking at your smartphone can have the same effect. If you’re doing this day after day, it can add up and can displace your neck joints.

Sometimes babies are born with torticollis, for example, if there was birth trauma or they have an abnormality in their spine. Children can develop torticollis after a minor injury or inflammation.

In adults, a sudden muscle spasm in the neck may be caused by:

Treatments for a twisted neck include medication, physical devices, physical therapy, stretching exercises, and surgery.

Once you have been diagnosed with torticollis, there are some home remedies that may help relieve symptoms. They include the following:

• Lay on your back. Symptoms often disappear during sleep, so taking a break to lie on your back may provide relief.
• Touch the opposite side of the face, chin, or neck. This tricks your body and may help spasms stop temporarily.
• Apply heat. Heat packs or hot water bottles applied to the neck may help loosen tight muscles.
• Stress-reduction techniques: Know what causes you stress or anxiety because this can lead to tension and worsening of symptoms.

For infants, passive stretching may be performed. In older babies, facilitating active movement may be helpful, for example, using sights or sounds to get a child to turn their head in a certain direction. A physical therapist will recommend stretches and other exercises and show you how to do them properly.
Physical therapy exercises for adults with twisted neck may include step by step neck exercises. You may first start by gradually moving your head a little further in each direction each time. Then, try to keep your head in the final position for longer periods.
If you cannot perform these exercises on your own, you may have another person assist you with gentle passive movements. Do your exercises several times a day, in front of a mirror when possible to see if you have been able to move your head farther.
Feel free to consult physical therapists at Nairobi Spine and Orthopaedic Centre for instructions on how to do movements and exercises correctly.