One night we went to bed without pain and the next morning we woke up unable to turn our neck to one side. What kind of magic is this? I'm sure we've all been through an episode of crick in our lives. If you are an athlete, it is normal for recovery to be a little faster, but you can still be upset for several days.
Here we tell you everything related to torticollis so that you can avoid more cervical pain.
What is torticollis?
Torticollis is nothing more than a prolonged muscle contraction in the neck region that causes pain and the inability to move. Normally it makes the head look towards one shoulder, while the chin stays pointing the opposite way.
This muscle problem can appear at any age, although when it occurs at birth it means that the baby's head was in the wrong position while it was developing in the womb.
types of torticollis
Within this condition we find four different types:
- Stiff neck: caused by sudden movements of the neck or bad postures.
- Idiopathic: when the condition occurs without a known cause.
- Congenital: It appears inside the uterus, when the fetus has been placed in a bad position during its growth or there are problems in the irrigation of the fetal neck.
- psychogenic spasm: it comes out due to spasmodic crises in the neck accompanied by pain. It may be due to stress or fatigue.
Why does it appear?
The causes of its appearance are two:
- Due to a genetic influence, it is considered hereditary.
- As a result of a muscle injury caused by poor posture or sudden movement.
Although, as we said before, it can also occur due to stress or fatigue.
What symptoms does it present?
The symptoms of torticollis are very easy to detect. Normally, people who suffer from torticollis suffer from cervical pain, have limited movement in the neck area and present stiffness of the sternocleidomastoid muscle. Also, we can have abnormal head posture.
On the other hand, it is common to have a headache and slight tremors and swelling of the neck muscles. Obviously, a limitation of movement is noted.
Can torticollis be avoided?
As this pathology is acquired due to poor posture, it is recommended to take special care in situations that may cause it, such as using pillows that are too high or low when we sleep.
In addition, it is recommended to pay attention when doing daily activities such as spending a lot of time talking on the phone with a forced and not very ergonomic posture, the posture when in front of the computer or if we make sudden movements of the neck.
Perform relaxation techniques and regular stretching of the cervical zone reduce the danger of suffering from it. Although it is important that you do not stretch when you already have torticollis. You can worsen the inflammation of the muscles and make the situation worse.
Common torticollis can be prevented by avoiding bad postures when we sleep, when we work on the computer, or when using the phone.
How can we treat it?
The most important thing to treat torticollis is to see a physiotherapist to assess your situation. You can also perform heat treatments and receive massages, as well as take muscle pain relievers.