ABSTRACT
The most frequent cause of acute cervical pain is “benign torticollis (wryneck),” a distressing disorder, usually of short duration. However, it can be chronic if linked to inflammatory arthritis or to a herniated disk. On rare occasions it can also be due to severe pathology. For example, a progressive or acutely painful torticollis seemingly triggered by a mild trauma or sudden movement can actually be due to an underlying benign or malignant spinal tumor.
