I'm wondering if there is anyone who has a child with torticollis? Where are you at with everything? Any success? Who do you see? What has been your experience?
I am a chiropractic assistant. My doc has treated many babies with torticollis successfully. It you have a chiropractor in your area who is good with pediatrics, I would highly recommend it. He will show you how to help stretch the mucles and build strength for permanent healing.
I am a Pediatic Physical Therapist and have seen many cases of torticollis. Its important to start PT as soon as possible and keep up with the home stretches and positioning. Plegiocephly is a very common problem with torticollis but babies can also develop swallowing problems so be sure to find an experienced PT in your area.
My son had it. We went to therapy for about a year or so and he is fine now. As long as you take care of it now, your child should be fine. We went to a place in Oswego for his therapy, once a week, starting when he was about 4 months old or so. We didnt get a helmet for a flat spot on his head but it did correct itself when we change his sleeping position often.
My first daughter was born with torticollis and I had to go to Baylor Children's Hospital which I was referred by my PCP. They had her meet with a physical therapist for an hour twice a week to teach me how to do certain stretches with her. Within a few months she was completely fine and never had to wear a collar or anything. As long as you stay on top of it and continue to do the stretches anytime or chance you get everything will turn out. Good Luck!
When my older son was about 4, he had this happen! It was from pulling too hard to get a turtleneck shirt over his head. We took him to a chiropractor.
My first , now 3, had torticollis pretty bad. We went to physical therapy a few times a week and I was shown a series of stretches to do at home a few times a day. It was not easy but nothing ever is with babies. She didn't have to wear the helmet, but her head really was mishapen, her ears weren't even and one of her eyes appeared to be more"closed" than the other. After a few months of therapy and making sure she didn't sleep in the same position everynight she really improved. Now you would never know she ever had it! Good luck and really stick with the stretches, it really works!
My son had torticollis pretty bad as an infant. His head was constantly tilted to one side by the time he was 6 months. I went to a pediatric physical therapist who had me do A LOT of stretches with him. I think it was 3 times a day with about 4 different stretches 3 times each that I had to stretch his neck. He also had him wear a certain kind of collar thing that was specifically for torticollis. He really hated the stretching, but the collar didn't bug him so much. It seems like after a few months the amount of stretching did go down some and got a little easier, but I don't remember for sure. At any rate, it worked. He is now 2.5 yrs. and doesn't have any problems I can see. It does seem some times like he prefers to lay his head a certain way, but there is no tilt to it now and he seems to have full range of motion. Good luck, it is not very fun to work through this, but it certainly did help to do what the physical therapist said.
My daughter was born with torticollis and ended up with a flat part on the right side of her head from it. Our pediatrician gave us stretched to do with her and the torticollis was corrected in about 3 months. For her flat head, the doctor gave us the choice to put her in a helmet or not to reshape her head. We decided against the helmet and at 13 months old, her head is almost perfect. Once the torticollis was fixed and she was able to turn her head both ways, she slept on both sides of her head and it rounded out nicely.
