The improvement following treatment lasts for about three months when patients need to be re-injected. The injections cause very little discomfort, are well tolerated, and produce no significant side effects. Difficulty swallowing occasionally occurs. This, however, has been mild, transient, and infrequent. The significance of this remains to be studied.
Stress makes all movement disorders, including torticollis, worse.
Some patients may benefit from a trained professional in learning stress management. A trained physiotherapist can suggest exercise and fitness programs suitable for the disability and can advise on the maintenance of good posture and strength in the back and shoulder muscles which are often secondarily affected by torticollis. For someone with torticollis, an occupational therapist may be able to help functional disability with the use of a soft collar. Sometimes a custom-fitted soft collar is necessary. A patient may use a collar in public to prevent unwanted questioning from strangers.