Hi Shubham - I can't diagnose you, but what you've described doesn't sound like scoliosis which is an abnormal curvature of the spine, or backbone. When you have scoliosis the spine has a C- or S- shape instead of being the normal vertical line.
Torticollis is a chronic condition in which the neck muscles contract involuntarily. This causes the head to turn and tilt to one side, and the chin to point to the opposite side. Sometimes one shoulder is lifted. The muscle contraction may be constant (fixed) or may come and go (intermittent). The abnormal posture caused by tilting the head may lead to neck pain. It may be present at birth (congenital) or develop later in life (acquired).
I wasn't sure where you were from. In the U.S. most patients are seen by a primary care doctor and have to get a referral that's approved by their insurance company in order to see a specialist. Are you able to see an orthopedic specialist? If so, the doctor would do a physical exam to see if there is a visible shortening of the neck muscles and whether your head tilts toward the affected side and your chin points to the opposite side. A electromyogram (EMG) may also be done to see which muscles are most affected. Depending on the findings, treatment may include application of heat, traction to the cervical spine and massage to help relieve pain. Stretching exercises and neck braces may also be prescribed to help with muscle spasms. While surgery is sometimes an option for children it is very rarely an option for adults.
Sometimes medications are used to treat this, including an anticholinergic drug called baclofen. In some cases injection of botulinum toxin (botox)) can temporarily relieve the torticollis, but repeat injections every three months are usually needed and in some areas botox is not approved for this type of use - you would need to check in your country.
If you worked with various types of therapies you might find some that would give you some short term relief but because this condition, long term, can impact your nervous system, you really should seek help beyond physical therapy.
I truly hope you can get the care you need and that you will feel better in the future. Hope that helps! Pat
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Hi Shubham - I can't diagnose you, but what you've described doesn't sound like scoliosis which is an abnormal curvature of the spine, or backbone. When you have scoliosis the spine has a C- or S- shape instead of being the normal vertical line.
Torticollis is a chronic condition in which the neck muscles contract involuntarily. This causes the head to turn and tilt to one side, and the chin to point to the opposite side. Sometimes one shoulder is lifted. The muscle contraction may be constant (fixed) or may come and go (intermittent). The abnormal posture caused by tilting the head may lead to neck pain. It may be present at birth (congenital) or develop later in life (acquired).
I wasn't sure where you were from. In the U.S. most patients are seen by a primary care doctor and have to get a referral that's approved by their insurance company in order to see a specialist. Are you able to see an orthopedic specialist? If so, the doctor would do a physical exam to see if there is a visible shortening of the neck muscles and whether your head tilts toward the affected side and your chin points to the opposite side. A electromyogram (EMG) may also be done to see which muscles are most affected. Depending on the findings, treatment may include application of heat, traction to the cervical spine and massage to help relieve pain. Stretching exercises and neck braces may also be prescribed to help with muscle spasms. While surgery is sometimes an option for children it is very rarely an option for adults.
Sometimes medications are used to treat this, including an anticholinergic drug called baclofen. In some cases injection of botulinum toxin (botox)) can temporarily relieve the torticollis, but repeat injections every three months are usually needed and in some areas botox is not approved for this type of use - you would need to check in your country.
If you worked with various types of therapies you might find some that would give you some short term relief but because this condition, long term, can impact your nervous system, you really should seek help beyond physical therapy.
I truly hope you can get the care you need and that you will feel better in the future. Hope that helps! Pat
November 12, 2010 - 6:55pmThis Comment
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