Torticollis Mataró

Torticollis Mataró

Although it may sound like a strange Italian dish, it is not. Imagine waking up one morning with your ear pressed against your shoulder, as if holding the receiver of a phone. The only problem is that there is no phone; you are left with — just an unrelenting, painful spastic neck with absolutely no chance of bringing your head back to any socially acceptable position.

Most would agree, you find yourself in quite an uncomfortable situation. Fortunately, in most cases, the “solution” to torticollis Mataró can be as simple as a visit to your chiropractor. “Torticollis” is a Latin word that simply means “twisted neck” — and therein lies some of the confusion.

Torticollis Mataró is really more than a description of a diagnosis. Many things can cause a neck to remain in an unsightly, twisted position: from fractures, tumors, and herniated discs to infections, neuro-ocular system problems, and certain medication side effects.

Fortunately, these causes are relatively uncommon. However, they must all be considered when a patient is evaluated for torticollis. Fortunately, most cases of torticollis Mataró involve a CERVICAL SUBLUXATION — something that chiropractors deal with every day.

Most of the time, a mechanical blockage of the joints in the neck with a displacement of the central content of the disc material has occurred. This in turn causes the joint tissues to become painfully inflamed and the neck muscles (mainly the sternocleidomastoid muscle) to enter a state of prolonged spasm.

Many scientific schools of thought blame the muscle spasm itself. And while this may be the case in certain situations, focusing on treating the muscle alone does not address the underlying disorder in the shortened muscle in the first place; in other words, treating it with massage and stretching the spastic muscle will not remedy this problem.

Natural Solution

On the other hand, a carefully administered adjustment by a chiropractor aimed at correcting the mechanical dysfunction that causes torticollis Mataró often brings immediate relief and total correction. The cause of torticollis, aside from the aforementioned causes, is open to debate and, for the most part, “unknown.”

What we tend to see, however, is that many people have been led to believe they received a “cold draft,” let’s say, from an open window or a fan. Or patients have had forced activities that put their neck in a prolonged twisted position — for example, a farmer driving a tractor who frequently looks over his shoulder while working the land.

Still, in other cases, there has been trauma involved — whether whiplash, sports injuries, heavy labor, or even birth by cranial exit. This last potentially traumatic cause is often what doctors label as “congenital torticollis,” and it is seen when babies tend to constantly turn their heads to one side. Failure to treat this can lead to facial asymmetry in the baby’s cranial development.

Once again, chiropractic can be very effective in recovery. Many who suffer from torticollis were predisposed to it due to issues with alterations in the normal curves of the spine (for example: reversed neck curve or scoliosis).

Aside from massages and stretches to lengthen the spastic muscle affected by torticollis, other medical approaches tend to focus on the muscle in a much more invasive way.

Medical Treatments

This range of medical methods temporarily paralyzes the involved muscles for several months with Botox injections to selectively cut the nerves that innervate the involved muscles. In extreme cases like congenital torticollis, surgeons would actually attempt to “lengthen” the shortened muscle.

Although scientific literature is scarce on the topic of solutions for torticollis through both medicine and chiropractic, what we do know is that chiropractors have helped many with this posturally alarming condition.

And while some may need the extreme measures of medicine, most patients would do well to at least consider chiropractic as their first option.

source photo planetazapping.com