Torticollis

What is it?

A common condition where one has neck pain or a ‘stiff neck’ .

It can be short term where one suddenly wake up one morning to find their neck twisted to one side and stuck in that position.
It usually gets better after a few days or weeks.

Diagnosis Tests

Please click for ‘Physiotutors’ diagnosis tests.

Cause

Unknown
Anxiety and stress
Sleep in an awkward position
Bad posture
Allowing certain muscles of the neck to be exposed to cold (sleeping in a draught).
Sleeping without adequate neck support, or carrying heavy unbalanced loads (for example, carrying a heavy bag and leaning to one side).
Neck muscle injury
Use a computer for a prolonged period of time
Strain a muscle because of bad posture
Cervical dystonia (spasmodic torticollis)- abnormal movements develop in the muscles of the neck.
Throat infection causing swollen lymph’s
Pantothenate kinase-associated neurodegeneration
PRRT2-associated paroxysmal movement disorders
Ullrich disease

Syndromes

Klippel-Feil syndrome
Wildervanck syndrome
- Abnormal union or fusion of two or more bones of the spinal column (vertebrae) within the neck (Klippel-Feil syndrome)
- Impairment or absence of certain eye (ocular) movements (Duane syndrome)
- Hearing impairment
XXYY Syndrome

Medication

Anti-psychotic Medication i.e.
- Phenothiazines

Source: ePainAssist.com

Source: Clinic HQ

Symptoms

Upper back and neck stiffness?
Pain is usually just on one side of your neck and stiffness of the muscles in that area twists the neck to one side?
Difficult to straighten your neck due to pain?
Pain is in the middle of your neck?
Pain may spread to the back of your head or to your shoulder?
Muscles of your affected side may be tender?
Aching, painful muscles, muscle cramps/spasms/stiffness?
Movement of your neck is restricted, particularly on one side?

Complications /Information to beware of/General tips:

Do not wait, phone for an ambulance if have or develop:

Spinal stenosis

This condition can lead to:

General tips

Take regular breaks from your desk, from driving, or from any activity where your neck is held in the same position for a long period of time
Avoid sleeping on your front, and make sure your head is in line with your body (not tilted to the side) if you sleep on your side
Only use enough pillows (usually only one) to keep your head level with your body
Make sure your mattress is relatively firm – a soft mattress could mean your neck is bent while you sleep

NHS Choices

This condition may show similar symptoms to:

Meningitis (stiff neck symptoms) – Medical Emergency)
Tardive Dyskinesia and/or Dystonia
Sandifer syndrome:
- Rare disorder that usually affects children up to the ages of 18 to 24 months.
- It causes unusual movements in a child’s neck and back that sometimes make it look like they’re having a seizure
- Symptoms are usually caused by severe acid reflux, or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD):
  - Torticollis symptoms
  - Tardive Dyskinesia and/or Dystonia symptoms (twisting motions)
  - Head nodding
  - Gurgling sounds
  - Coughing
  - Trouble sleeping
  - Constant irritability
  - Poor weight gain
  - Choking
  - Breath-holding spells (aponea)
  - Slow feeding
  - Recurrent pneumonia

Please talk to your healthcare professional (i.e. Medical Doctor/Pharmacist) for further advice

Detailed Information

Please copy and paste any key words from the title: Torticollis in the following respective 'Medtick References and/or Sources' to find out more about the disease (this also may include diagnosis tests and generic medical treatments).

NHS
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Medscape
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Pharmaceutical Journal
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Healthline
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Medical News Today
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WebMD
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Cleveland Clinic
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Mayo Clinic
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Drugs.com
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National Organisation of Rare Diseases
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Verywell Health
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Fit for Travel
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DR Axe
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Diet, Exercise and Body Manipulations

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