A Systematic Review of Case Reports on the Neck-Tongue Syndrome.

Background and Objectives: Neck-tongue syndrome (NTS) is rare, and characterized by unilateral upper neck or occipital pain and paresthesia in the ipsilateral hemisphere of the tongue due to neck movement. Treatment for NTS is mainly conservative, but the symptoms, causes, and rationale for treatment remain controversial. This study aimed to provide a framework for NTS treatment in clinical practice based on recent treatment directions. Materials and Methods: Case reports published from the past 20 years to August 2021 were searched through MEDLINE, EMBASE, and PEDro databases. Since there is no established management for NTS, the search terms were neck-tongue syndrome and case reports. The Critical Appraisal Checklist for Case Reports was used for the quality assessment of case reports. Through descriptive analysis, NTS symptoms, interventions, and results were reviewed. Results: Among the 16 studies searched, six case reports were selected and analyzed based on eight criteria. Symptoms included neck pain and ipsilateral tongue paralysis when the head was turned. As an intervention, six and four studies showed immediate symptom relief through manual therapy and exercise, respectively. Conclusions: Based on the reviewed evidence, management through physical therapy and chiropractic therapy with conservative methods such as manual therapy and exercise for patients with neck-tongue syndrome is recommended.

Effect of physical therapy intervention on thickness and ratio of the sternocleidomastoid muscle and head rotation angle in infants with congenital muscular torticollis: A randomized clinical trial (CONSORT).

BACKGROUND: Early diagnosis as well as treatment is important in management of congenital muscular torticollis (CMT). The purpose of this study was to find an effective physical therapy modality to improve the sternocleidomastoid (SCM) muscle thickness, the ratio of the SCM muscle thickness on the affected side to that on the non-affected side (A/N ratio), and head rotation in infant under 3 months of age diagnosed with CMT. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: A single-blind, randomized clinical trial was conducted. Participants were assigned in one of the 3 study groups through randomization. The treatment was performed 3 times a week for 30 minutes until the head tilt was ≤5 degrees. Group 1 was treated by handling for active or active-assist movement, group 2 was treated with passive stretching, and group 3 was treated with thermotherapy. For general characteristics, a χ2 test and 1-way analysis of variance were used. Intragroup differences were analyzed using a paired t test, and intergroup differences were analyzed using an age-adjusted analysis of covariance. RESULTS: After the intervention, there was no significant difference between groups in terms of SCM thickness on the affected side and A/N ratio (P > .05). Degree of head rotation on the affected side showed significant differences between groups (P < .05), with Group 2 showing significantly better results than group 1 and group 3 (P < .05, both). CONCLUSION: Passive stretching treatment was more effective than other treatments of this study for improvement in degree of head rotation in CMT infants under 3 months of age. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The trial is registered at the Institutional Review Board of Sahmyook University (IRB number, 2-7001793-AB-N-012019103HR) and the Clinical Research Information Service (CRiS; registry number, KCT0004862).