What is a wry neck?
An acute wry neck presents as a sudden and severe onset of one sided neck pain. It is characterised by the neck being ‘stuck’ in a position and restricted range of movement. It is often accompanied by spasm of the surrounding neck musculature. This muscle spasm is a protective response by the body but creates neck pain and the inability to turn your neck through its full range of motion.
Wry neck is a prevalent condition, which can be quite disabling as the sufferer experiences constant severe pain with simple neck movements. Luckily, wry neck treatment usually is one of the few injuries that can be treated very successfully over a short period of time (1-2 weeks). However, preventing a recurrence of a wry neck can take a while longer.
What causes a wry neck?
The exact causes of this condition are unknown. It often has no direct cause but often a combination of maladaptive behaviours such as poor sleeping or sitting postures, fast movements of the neck or repetitive and prolonged laboursome upper body and neck activities.
The restriction in range of motion can be created by stiffness in the facet joints of the spinal vertebrae, causing them to become ‘locked’. This often presents with a more sudden onset of neck pain and stiffness.
Signs and symptoms:
- Sudden onset, often one sided neck pain on movement.
- Restricted and painful neck movements.
- Fixed and pain avoiding neck posture (tilted to one side, rotated etc).
- Muscle spasm in the neck and shoulder.
Wry neck can be caused by an irritation of the intervertebral discs. These discs sit between the vertebrae and are important for normal neck movements and shock absorption. If the neck is fixed in a certain posture this can cause irritation and inflammation of the disc, resulting in pain and stiffness. Some characteristics of a discogenic wry neck can include:
- A slower, insidious onset of neck pain and stiffness.
- Pain can radiate past the shoulders and into the upper back.
- Pins and needles/numbness, down into the hands.
Physiotherapy treatment
In most cases, a wry neck is effectively treated with physiotherapy intervention. It is ideal to get a same day appointment to speed up recovery time, symptoms usually resolve within 3-7 days. Your physiotherapist will likely implement a combination of the following manual therapy (hands on) techniques:
- Soft tissue massage.
- Cervical joint mobilisations.
- Manual traction.
- Active range of movement exercises.
The best results occur with early intervention, if the condition is left without treatment for a few weeks, the joint stiffness takes longer to resolve. Once your symptoms resolved and you have regained your full neck range of motion, your physiotherapist will work with you to prevent a recurrence. This will involve fine-tuning your neck, shoulder and shoulder blade muscle strength and control.
Self-management techniques
- Stay active and keep doing your daily activities – within your pain limits.
- Heat pack for 5-10 mins when feeling stiff and sore.
- Keep the neck moving within your tolerable pain limit.
- Pain relief medication if required.
- Avoid neck braces or collars.
- Sit with an upright posture – avoid slouching and chairs or couches that encourage poor posture.
If you are experiencing neck pain and stiffness and would like to have a FREE assessment by a Physiotherapist or Exercise Physiologist, book in to Back in Motion Aspendale Gardens here.