Have you ever woken up with a painful and stiff neck?

Acute wry neck is characterized by a sudden onset of neck pain and stiffness resulting in limited range of motion and an abnormal head position. Commonly it can occur after sleeping in an awkward position as well as a combination of other factors. Your physiotherapist can provide you with a thorough assessment to identify the cause of your pain and then undergo treatment for your neck in order to reduce your symptoms and restore your movement as soon as possible!

Some interventions commonly incorporated by your physiotherapist for the treatment of a wry neck include:

1.     Soft tissue releases: massage can assist in gaining increased blood flow and oxygen to the neck muscles and release tension in these structures.

2.     Joint mobilisations: specific graded joint mobilisations may be included in order to open up different facet joints and relieve the stiffness in the cervical or thoracic joints of the spine.

3.     Safe range of motion stretches: restoration of movement in important in your treatment. Your therapist can prescribe you with specific pain relieving stretches that can assist in return of movement.

4.     Heat therapy: applying heat to the affected area can assist in pain relief and reduction of muscle spasms.

5.     Postural correction: Your physiotherapist can assess your posture and biomechanics and provide you with specific postural and endurance training exercises to prevent recurrence of wry necks or unload areas of your spine.

Your physiotherapist can provide a thorough assessment and rule out any red flags related to your neck pain. Using your results, your therapist can provide you with specific manual therapy to ease the symptoms and provide you with pain relieving, safe exercises to restore your symptoms and function as soon as possible.