Botox improves local patient’s severe head tilt

Injections used to correct cervical dystonia

PORT HURON, Mich. (March 12, 2014) – Constant muscle contraction in the neck left Port Huron resident Mary Pochodylo with a severe head tilt.

“Mary suffers from cervical dystonia, which is a condition affecting the nerves in the neck,” explains Dr. Scott Kowalski, physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist at Orthopedic Associates of Port Huron. “The condition causes her neck muscles to constantly contract, leaving her head in a severe side bend.”

Though typically associated with cosmetic enhancements, four Botox injections at Orthopedic Associates of Port Huron have allowed Pochodylo to achieve an improvement of more than 20 degrees in the contraction. Botox targets the neck muscles, allowing them to relax by decreasing the neurotransmitter strength within the nerves.

“After suffering from neck pain and stiffness for more than a year with no relief from medications or physical therapy, I’m amazed at the change I’ve felt since my injections,” Pochodylo says.

For more information about the physical medicine and rehabilitation treatment options available at Orthopedic Associates of Port Huron or to schedule an appointment, please call (810) 985-4900.

Orthopedic Associates of Port Huron is St. Clair County’s largest orthopedic practice, with 10 specialists trained in treating the bones, joints and muscles within several areas of the body. The doctors’ areas of expertise include spine, shoulder, elbow, hand and wrist, hip, knee, foot and ankle, sports medicine, joint reconstruction, nonoperative care and pain management. Orthopedic Associates of Port Huron proudly provides sports medicine coverage for several area athletes and teams. For more information on the practice and its doctors, visit www.oaph.com or “like” Orthopedic Associates of Port Huron on Facebook.