- The professionals of the hospitals that the Ribera health group manages in Villanueva de la Serena and Almendralejo provide advice to reduce stiffness and pain in the cervical region and help to correct the antalgic posture
- They remember that a prolonged torticollis can cause asymmetry in the position of the shoulders and an increase in tone in the cervical muscles, with the consequent discomfort, and they recommend going to a professional
Hospital physiotherapy services Santa Justa Bank y Ribera Almendralejo warn that stress and fatigue predispose to torticollis and the aches and pains associated with it. The professionals of the health centers that the Ribera health group manages in Villanueva de la Serena and Almendralejo (Badajoz) define torticollis as "a prolonged muscular contraction that affects the musculature of the cervical region". "This sustained contraction causes muscle shortening, giving rise to an antalgic posture, which normally involves tilting or rotating the head to one side," they explain.
In torticollis, the main muscle affected is the sternocleidomastoid, but also the trapezius, the specialists explain, as well as the scalenes and the angular scapula, which can also be affected.
The most frequent causes of this muscle contraction are, in addition to stress and fatigue, whiplash, generally caused by an accident or traumatic injury, muscle injuries caused by poor posture or sudden movement, and asymmetrical positions maintained over time. . "The origin, sometimes, can also be in a herniated disc at the cervical level or in a bacterial or viral infection," they point out, and "with some frequency it appears in newborn children or those who are months old, although, in these cases it is called congenital and its origin is generally associated with an asymmetrical position maintained during its development in the uterus, which entails a tilt of the head, although on some occasions it may be due to muscle injury or a deficit of blood supply in the cervical region”.
The physiotherapists from Ribera Santa Justa and Ribera Almendralejo also explain that the main symptoms of torticollis "are easy to appreciate". "Patients immediately notice stiffness in the cervical region, pain and limited inclination or rotation of the head to one side and, as a consequence, asymmetry in the position of the shoulders and increased tone in the cervical musculature," they say.
Specialists recommend applying heat to the cervical region, with an electric blanket, bag of seeds, or hot water, and gently mobilizing the affected area. "We can move the head, bringing the ear closer to the shoulder on the same side, carefully make nods of assent (yes) and denial (no) and raise the shoulders to the level of the ear," they explain. "The goal is to reduce stiffness and muscle tension in the area," they say.
If these tips do not work, they add, it is advisable to go to a specialist at the Ribera Santa Justa hospital or the Ribera Almendralejo hospital, since both have a complete Physiotherapy room, to perform a therapeutic massage, a myofascial treatment, apply ultrasound , analgesic currents, radiofrequency or dry needling, always depending on the needs of each patient.
