How can physical therapy help treat torticollis?
Torticollis, also known as wryneck, is a condition where the neck muscles are contracted, causing the head to twist and turn involuntarily. This can cause pain and discomfort, and if left untreated, can worsen over time. Fortunately, physical therapy has been shown to be an effective treatment option for torticollis. In this blog post, we will discuss how to identify torticollis and how physical therapy can help treat this condition.
What is torticollis?
Torticollis, also known as wryneck or twisted neck, is a condition in which the neck muscles tighten and cause the head to turn and/or tilt to the side. It usually occurs in newborns but can also affect older children and adults. Signs of torticollis may include head flattening on one side of the head, neck/body tightness, and a delay in developmental milestones such as turning the head to both sides and lifting the head in tummy time.
In newborns, torticollis is often caused by uterine constraint during pregnancy or birth trauma with injury to the neck muscle. This can lead to neck muscle contraction or stiffness, making it harder for babies to move their heads from side to side. In some instances, it may be caused by genetic conditions or visual impairment.
Take a look at a child whose torticollis was present in his sonogram. You can see this child’s torticollis posturing with his head tilted to the right in each one of these photos.
How do you identify torticollis?
In my experience, parents are noticing signs and symptoms of torticollis posturing before any other person or medical provider. If you are a parent or any provider who works with babies look at these common signs that may indicate a baby has torticollis:
Head turn preference
Consistent head tilt
Tight neck and/or body
Bump on neck muscle
Head flattening
Difficulty breastfeeding on one side
Asymmetrical facial features
Tummy time difficulty
Reaching with one hand more than the other
Asymmetry or delays with motor milestones (e.g. rolling only to one side)
How can physical therapy help treat torticollis?
Physical therapy is an evidenced-based and effective way to treat torticollis and the associated head flattening that occurs with this condition. Physical therapy for torticollis includes muscle stretching, gentle joint mobilizations, muscle strengthening exercises, and movement activities to ensure your baby is on track with their milestones. Positioning strategies will also be taught to improve posture and correct plagiocephaly, or head flattening. In many cases, a cranial helmet can be avoided, or wear time in a helmet significantly reduced if physical therapy is started early enough. With consistent treatment and exercises, physical therapy can provide long-term relief from torticollis. Additionally, with physical therapy treatment of torticollis, you’ll likely see improvement in breastfeeding, a decrease in reflux, a decrease in colic, and a happier baby.
Torticollis is a time-sensitive diagnosis. This means that total treatment time may be significantly shorter and total cost may be significantly reduced if you start physical therapy early. It is much easier to stretch muscles, prevent motor delays, and correct head asymmetries when treatment is started in the newborn stage.
Have you noticed signs of torticollis in your baby? Consult with an infant physical therapist who specializes in the treatment of torticollis.
