What is Wry Neck? Wry neck is a complaint where you develop neck pain and stiffness, which is often accompanied by spasm of the surrounding neck muscles. This causes neck pain and an inability to turn your neck through its full range of motion. Wry neck can also be referred to as acute wry neck since the onset is sudden - or acute! Wry neck is an extremely common condition, which can be quite disabling as the sufferer experiences constant severe pain with simple neck movements. Luckily wry neck treatment is normally very successful in a short-period of time! Wry Neck Causes Wry neck can have several causes. However, it is the thought that the pain and reduction in range of motion results mainly from two mechanisms. Either Facet Wry Neck caused by a locked facet joint or Discogenic Wry Neck caused by a cervical disc injury. Signs and Symptoms of Facet Wry Neck Pain – generally located in the middle or side of the neck that is affected. The onset of pain is sudden. The pain experienced does not extend beyond the shoulder joint. Loss of Movement – your neck is generally fixed in an abnormal position – most commonly flexed forward and rotated away from the side of pain. All movements aggravate the pain, as the joint is fixed and movement triggers irritation to the joint and thus pain. Muscle Spasm – this is a tightening of the associated neck muscles that further limit movement. Wry Neck Treatment After your physiotherapist has assessed your neck and confirms which joint or joints are locked, they will utilise a range of low risk joint treatment techniques and soft tissue massage to normalise your facet joint function. While your wry neck joint can almost always be immediately unlocked, you will have some residual muscle spasm and swelling in the region due to the trauma. Think how a sprained ankle swells! Neck joints will also swell, but it won't be as visible. Facet Wry Neck Treatment Aims Confirm your diagnosis Unlock your locked facet joint: facet joint techniques Normalise joint range of motion: joint techniques Relax muscle spasm: massage, gentle stretches, acupuncture or dry needling Normalise your muscle length-tension ratio: massage, stretches and home exercises Check and normalise your deep neck and superficial muscle strength Ensure normal cervical posture and function. If need more specific advice, please consult your physiotherapist who has a special interest in acute wry neck rehabilitation.