One speaks of a torticollis when the mobility of the head and the cervical spine is painfully restricted so that the affected person can no longer assume the physiological upright head position. The causes of a torticollis can be very diverse. In children, it can develop immediately after birth due to a possible neurologically induced increased muscle tension (hypertonus).
It is also suspected that a neck muscle was injured at birth. In adults, neurological or inflammatory causes may be possible. Blockages or dysfunctions in the cervical spine and the vertebral joints can also lead to severe tension and painful movement restrictions due to nerve irritation, which manifests itself in the relieving posture, the torticollis. The treatment is causal, i.e. dependent on the cause. The following articles may also be of interest to you:
- Physiotherapy for a child’s torticollis
- Mobility training spine
Exercises
Exercises against the torticollis should always be done only after a medical diagnosis. If it is certain that the torticollis is an orthopedic torticollis due to an acute cervical spine syndrome or muscle strain, exercises can be helpful. The severely tense musculature must first be prepared for the following movement.
In order to release the strong tension, a heat application before the beginning of the training can be helpful. Heat ointments can also be used and can be massaged into the muscle before or after the application. Afterwards, one makes use of a principle of muscle work that says that when the opponent is tensed, the other muscle must relax.
For example, in order to relax the left neck muscle, the patient can now give a slight resistance with his own hand, which he places on the right cheekbone, while trying to press the head against the hand. Neither the head nor the hand moves, it is an isometric tension, the muscles work at the same length. The tension is held for 15 seconds and then released.
The exercise is repeated about 10 times. In the breaks between the exercises, if you try to straighten the head slightly from the incorrect posture, if this is not possible, the tension is initially sufficient and the head is only tried to mobilize after the last repetition. This exercise is called Postisometric Relaxation.
The exercise should be painless. In order to loosen the muscles and stimulate the metabolism, which serves to relieve pain, simple shoulder circling can help to loosen the tense muscles. The head can then be tried to be gently mobilized into a possible direction of movement on a small scale, one should take time and slowly increase the range of movement only then a new direction of movement is practiced. The following articles may also be of interest to you in this regard:
- Isometric exercises
- Cervical spine syndrome – exercises
- Physiotherapy HWS Syndrome
- What is the best way to stretch the cervical spine?
