Tips from the expert

What help is available for “torticollis”?

Readers ask, experts answer on the most pressing health issues. Renate M. (64): What are the causes of a diagnosis of torticollis and what can be done about it?  

Prim. Dr. Jasmin Kechvar, specialist in neurology, head of the neurology department at the Evangelical Hospital (EKH): "Torticollis", or cervical dystonia, refers to motor disorders of the neck muscles that lead to a forced posture of the head and neck area. There are several known causes of uncontrolled spasms and incorrect posture - of the head, for example - most of which are neurological in nature.

Torticollis can also occur as a result of a protective posture in the case of painful diseases in the ENT / cervical area or as compensation for eye muscle paralysis. I therefore recommend a very thorough examination by a specialist neurologist, during which other neurological causes can also be checked and ruled out. 

It is very important to have a therapy that is tailored to you personally, taking into account the degree of the disease and the original onset of the symptoms.

In addition to targeted relaxation therapy and physiotherapy, various medications are generally available for treatment. These include anticholinergics, benzodiazepines, so-called dopamine memory depleting drugs and muscle relaxants.

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In more than 70 percent of patients with cervical dystonia, injections of botulinum toxin A into the affected muscles relieve the painful cramps over one to four months and allow the head to return to a more normal position. In particularly stubborn cases, deep brain stimulation (DBS) can also be helpful.