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Torticollis Treatment
Body Part:
Neck
Equipment:
None
Level:
Beginner
Adult Torticollis Treatment: Relieve Wry Neck Pain
Your neck has important jobs to do. It supports your head, guards nerves that transmit information from your brain to the body, and makes the movement of your head possible so you can shake it ‘yes’ or ‘no’. Torticollis (also known as wry neck and acute torticollis) is a condition that affects the neck muscles. It occurs when the sternocleidomastoid muscle (a muscle that runs from your collarbone and breastbone to under your ear) shortens; your head tips towards the muscle and your chin turns in the opposite direction.1) Torticollis limits your ability to move your head, severely restricts or eliminates your range of motion, and your neck can’t do its jobs well. We’ve developed a stretch for adults who have torticollis that can help relieve neck pain, and it only takes about 4 minutes. Jump to our routine or keep reading to learn more about torticollis.
Signs That You Have Torticollis Are:
- your head slants at an angle,
- twisted neck,
- your chin rests in an abnormal position,
- acute pain when moving your head or neck,
- stiff neck,
- tender or swollen neck muscles,
- neck muscle cramps or spasms,
- pain in your shoulders, back, or spine,
- headache.
What Causes Torticollis?
Although the cause of torticollis is often unknown, it can be brought on by:
- bending or twisting your neck beyond its natural range of motion,
- sleeping in a position that doesn’t support proper spinal alignment,
- neck muscle spasms or shrunken muscles,
- a herniated disc,
- an injury to the neck.
Cervical Spine Stretch
- Stand with your back against a wall.
Important: while you’re stretching, keep your back against the wall; do not come forward.
- Let your head drop forward until your chin touches your chest. You’ll feel a stretch in the back of your neck.
- Slowly move your head backwards from your chin. Imagine that your chin is pressing against your cervical spine.
- When your head touches the wall, press the back of your neck against the wall for about 30 seconds.
- The entire stretch should take about 1 minute.
- Repeat twice.
- After your third repetition, keep pressing the back of your neck against the wall and move on to the next stretch.
Necks and Balances
Put yourself on a stretching schedule: perform our torticollis treatment 6 days a week for 3 weeks. You can adjust your exercise frequency as soon as your neck pain alleviates.
Our Tip
Try sleeping without a pillow for a week or two. Our heads love puffy pillows, but our spines don’t. Pillows that elevate your head too high from your mattress contribute to spinal misalignment and may bring on a stiff neck.
Sources & Studies
- ↑1 Tomczak KK, Rosman NP. Torticollis. Journal of Child Neurology. 2013;28(3):365-378. doi:10.1177/0883073812469294.
Get More Exercises for Neck Pain
Download our FREE PDF guide and discover more neck pain exercises you can do from home.
All gain. No pain.
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