You’ll find a Wry Neck, also called Torticolis, will appear upon waking in the morning or from a sudden, quick movement involving the neck.  In the lead up to condition the patient has usually performed activities that involve slouching, poor posture, repetitive neck movements or over lifting.

This gradually stretches tissue in the neck over time, causing injury to the facet joint.  A Wry Neck may also occur due to sleeping in the breeze of an open window or under a fan.

Symptoms of a Wry Neck.

Patients with a Wry Neck feel sharp pain to one side of the neck. They will find it difficult to turn the head to the painful side and will adopt an unnatural stance due to pain.  This is due to the contraction of the Sternocleidomastoid muscle giving a lateral distortion of the head towards the side of the spasm.

The patient is usually finds this difficult to sit or stand normally this due to muscle spasm and pain.  Pain may be referred into the shoulder blade, upper back or the arm on the affected side.

Symptoms are usually compounded by turning the head to the affected side, bending forwards or leaning sideways, lifting, arching backwards or slouching for extended periods.

Sometimes there may be no identifiable reason as to why the symptoms have started.

Apart from sleeping in the breeze of an open window or under a fan, contributing factors can also be:

• Bad posture
• Neck joint stiffness
• Muscle weakness or tightness
• Incorrect lifting technique
• A lifestyle or occupation involving sitting at a computer or driving for long periods, bending, or lifting heavy objects.

Treatment for a Wry Neck

Most patients with a wry neck will respond to massage  and recover quickly and a competent therapist will work within your pain threshold.  If you display the above symptoms arrange an appointment and begin to feel the relief  massage has to offer.

Desk jobs, extended working hours, long distance driving and incorrect sitting position may all contribute to problems in the neck and shoulders.

Painkillers are all to often prescribed for shoulder pain, and risk making your shoulder problem worse by allowing you to go on with the same activities that caused the problem in the first place!

Prescription drugs are not a good therapy for shoulder pain. They only deaden your awareness of the problem and damage can be exacerbated. In other words, they only hide the symptoms and don’t fix the problem.

Neck and shoulder massage can relieve the tension and stress around the neck and shoulder area naturally. The importance of the neck and shoulder region lies in the fact that the neck is a flexible structure that connects the brain to the rest of the body. Tension in this important part of the body invariably causes overall discomfiture and slackness.

Furthermore, anxiety and monotonous posture severely reduces the usual mobility of the neck and shoulder. A neck and shoulder massage by a competent therapist can eliminate stress and bring relief to the neck and shoulder muscles.

Benefits include:

• Massage restores mobility in the neck and shoulder.
• Relieves stiff neck and/or shoulder muscles and increases flexibility.
• Improves blood circulation and overall feeling of well being.
• Neck and shoulder massage relieves pain and stress.
• Relaxes and soothes the mind and body.

If you haven’t tried deep tissue massage therapy make a call today.  Arrange an appointment and experience the many benefits that deep tissue massage has to offer.