Synonyms: Torticollis, Torticollis spasmodicus
Wryneck – What is it?
Wryneck (torticollis) is a collective term for many different congenital or acquired neck malpositions resulting in an asymmetrical posture of the neck or head. The term torticollis used in medical terminology is derived from the Latin words tortus for twisted and collis for neck.
What is the best way to treat the wryneck?
The treatment of the wryneck depends on the cause and the exact severity. The most common is the so-called acute torticollis (stiff neck), which is caused by muscle tension or a too strong draft. It usually disappears within a few hours or a few days.
If the symptoms are somewhat worse, the acute torticollis is best treated by an experienced doctor or physiotherapist, who can compensate for the malposition by means of certain traction and movement techniques. Since this can be very painful, it is recommended that a sufficient amount of painkillers, for example paracetamol or aspirin, be taken at the same time. The therapy of a rheumatic torticollis can consist on the one hand in the removal of the inflammation by appropriate medicines, on the other hand in manual-therapeutic or physiotherapeutic measures.
A torticollis in consequence of large scars on the neck is called scar torticollis. As a therapy option, besides a pronounced physiotherapy to loosen the tissue, another surgical intervention by a plastic surgeon is possible. If the wryneck is congenital, it is first treated with physiotherapy.
Especially in the simpler stages of the disease, it may be sufficient to place the newborn on its stomach frequently, since this puts more strain on the neck muscles, which are more evenly distributed and any existing malpositions disappear by themselves. In addition to this, a kind of neck brace can be worn as a support, which is specially adapted in order to precisely correct the problem. Approximately 10% of congenital torticollis cannot be treated with conservative measures or only unsatisfactorily, so that surgery is the method of choice here.
If a congenital torticollis is not treated, the constant misalignment of the head over time also results in a crooked spine (scoliosis). At the same time, the inclined side of the face may remain in growth. Therefore, an early therapy is always advisable.
In the case of an osseous torticollis, which is caused by bone malformations in the neck region, surgery to correct the bone malposition is usually the first choice. However, the definitive therapy must be assessed on a case-by-case basis, depending on the degree of deviation from the normal image. If a bacterial infection is the cause of the torticollis (infectious torticollis), the treatment consists of antibiotic therapy. A spastic torticollis is caused by damage to the brain, which causes spastic movements in the neck. Treatment of spastic torticollis is difficult because often only the symptoms, i.e. the torticollis itself, but not the damage to the brain can be treated.
