Have you ever woken up one morning with neck or shoulder pain, usually more to one side and felt like the neck was so stiff that it was almost locked up? Or felt sharp pain in the neck after sudden movements without any obvious injury? If the answer is yes, you have likely experienced a condition called Acute wry neck. It is also less commonly known as adult torticollis or idiopathic cervical dystonia.

What is Acute Wry Neck?

Acute Wry Neck is a condition in which the muscles of the neck are tightened up and are forcefully contracting without any movement. This can often cause twisting, straining or strange postures in the neck generally first noticed in the morning. The pain can range from a light discomfort to severely painful and disabling. Acute Wry Neck mainly affects young adults between the ages of 18 and 40 and is more prevalent in females.

Wry neck is the term used to describe a condition where your neck temporarily becomes stiff and painful.

What causes Acute Wry Neck?

Many years of research has gone into trying to figure out why it occurs, especially as it is generally experienced at seemingly random times. Unfortunately, research is unable to pinpoint exactly why this occurs but there are a few factors that may increase the likelihood of getting Acute Wry Neck. These include…

• Stress

• Poor sleeping pattern

• Genetics – Family history

• Previous Cervical/Neck trauma

Can a physio help?

Physiotherapy is the first line of treatment when dealing with Acute Wry Neck. There are a range of assessment and treatment options that can be carried out to reduce the severity of pain and restore normal range of motion in the neck and shoulder. It is important to address the symptoms early to reduce any possible long-term complications (including nerve compression), improve your function and get you back to work/school/sport as soon as possible. Treatment varies based on the assessment results, however, often include the following:

• Massage and soft tissue mobilisation to the tight or over protective muscles around the neck and shoulder

• Mobilisation of the vertebrae of the neck and torso

• Dry needling to the muscles of the neck

• Exercises to optimise function in the correct areas and ensure long-term support of the cervical spine

• Stretching for tighter structures in the neck and shoulder

In most cases, Acute Wry Neck is resolved very quickly with an early intervention and usually only takes a few days up to a week to fully resolve. In more severe cases, it can take up to four weeks for all the symptoms to completely resolve, however there will be significant improvements made within the first few days.

If you think you may have Acute Wry Neck or this is something you often suffer with, book here or call 03 9841 5777 to see one of our physiotherapists to help you get back to feeling your best!