What is Torticolis?

About 1 in 250 infants are born with Congenital Muscular Torticollis (CMT). CMT is typically diagnosed within the first two months of a baby’s life and is most often identified when the baby holds its head to one side, has limited neck movement, and/or has a small bump on the side of her neck. The condition is most often due to tightness in the sternocleidomastoid muscle or the muscle that connects the breastbone and the collarbone to the skull.

Most parents that have a baby with torticollis instinctively take the child to a medical doctor/pediatrician, exasperated and with hopes of taking the baby home cured. So hours later, to their disappointment, they return home, the baby still screaming from the torticollis symptoms. They go home with no cure and no hope.

This unfortunate situation happens over and over again throughout our country every day. And it could have been easily remedied if only the medical doctor would have referred the family to a chiropractic doctor that specializes in the care of children.

What Happens If A Child Has Torticollis and Nothing Is Done?

Infants with torticollis present with developmental delays including rolling supine to prone, sitting, crawling and pulling to stand. They frequently crawl from one side with reduced elongation and weight bearing from the same side as torticollis.

Babies with torticollis may also develop asymmetrical head shape or positional plagiocephaly. CMT, often due to sleeping with the head turned to one side, puts constant pressure on the back of the head which leads to flattening. This may also be accompanied by frontal bulging. The asymmetry may cause spinal misalignment and uneven distribution of weight over the legs, leading to the development of rthopedic problems.

Because the condition limits a child’s ability to turn his head to see, hear and interact freely with his  environment, torticollis may lead to delayed cognitive development, delayed whole body awareness, weakness and difficulties with balance.

Infants presenting with torticollis often times have less opportunity to track and look from the right to the left side and do not interact with their immediate environment with both hands symmetrically. They prefer looking to one side and are initially unable to roll from back to belly using their necks.

What Is The Real Cause of Torticollis?

If the family had taken their child to a chiropractor instead of doing nothing, they might have been surprised to find out that the true cause may have happened at birth.

The birth process can cause vertebrae that protect the spinal cord to lose their normal motion or position. Delicate nerve tissue can be damaged, resulting in interference with the brain’s ability to control associated organs and tissues. Lost muscle tone weakens the important support of the spine. Discs, blood vessels, and other soft tissues can swell and become inflamed. The body responds with bone spurs and abnormal bony growth, and various systems throughout the body may malfunction.

Pain or other obvious symptoms may or may not be present, yet optimum health and well-being can still be compromised. Doctors of Chiropractic are the ONLY health care professionals dedicated to the elimination and prevention of the Vertebral Subluxation Complex.

Physical Therapy vs. Chiropractic Treatment

Physical therapists can only address soft tissue issues. Physical therapy interventions aim to strengthen muscles, correct muscle imbalance and gain in cervical spine range of motion, and facilitate postural control, symmetry and biomechanical alignment along with normal soft-tissue and muscle-length tension.

Chiropractic treatment is an all-inclusive corrective procedure. Chiropractic treatments include everything that the physical therapist does and the chiropractic adjustment which corrects the Vertebral Subluxation Complex. Does it make sense to go only to physical therapy which treats part of the problem when you could go to a chiropractor and get the complete treatment? Chiropractic is the only logical, practical choice.

Your Solution Is In Your Back Yard!

Dr. Russ and Dr. Kimberly both specialize in treating children with all types of ailments. And they have successfully treated children specifically with torticollis and many other childhood ailments, including colic. Their expertise and experience allows them to assess the child for all of the possible causes that create the problems in the first place. Next, they treat the child accordingly. They then instruct the parents of any actions they need to take in helping to prevent these health issues from coming back.

There is no reason that ANY child that you know should be suffering when treatment and relief are just a phone call away! If it’s your child, call us to make an appointment. If it’s the child of a family member, friend or acquaintance, please give them our number so that they can call us to make an appointment.