Infant Torticollis – Is Chiropractic Safe?
Calabasas Chiropractor Discusses a Common Birth Injury
Pediatric chiropractor sees babies with infant torticollis – chiropractic is an effective treatment
Many babies are born with torticollis, a condition where the baby holds their head to one side and has limited movement of the neck. Infant torticollis, also known as wry-neck, is a fairly common problem. You may not know this, but it can be considered a birth injury.
Torticollis is uncomfortable for the baby (have you ever had your neck stuck and you couldn’t move it? It’s not very comfortable, is it??). If left untreated, it can flatten your baby’s head on one side. This is known as plagiocephaly. In addition to the physical effects, torticollis also makes it hard for your baby to breastfeed.
If your baby has infant torticollis, there are things you can do at home to help them. Encourage your baby to look the non-preferred way. You can do this by putting them down in their crib or chair with them facing away from the action. This will force them to turn their head to see what’s going on. You should also increase tummy time, as this helps them strengthen their neck muscles.
With infant torticollis, professional treatment will help them get better, faster, and will prevent future problems. The standard recommendation to parents is PT or massage therapy to work on the muscles. I agree the muscles need to be looked at, but it seems like conventional wisdom has forgotten that those muscles are attached to bones in the neck.
The bones of the neck, or vertebrae, house the spinal cord and the nerves that take messages from the brain to all the body parts. If the neck is twisted and contracted, do you think the nerves going to the body might be affected? You bet. This is one reason many parents of torticollis babies also complain of other health problems, like digestion issues or fussiness.
Pediatric chiropractic care is a safe and gentle way to help infant torticollis. It’s also cost effective. Chiropractic can achieve in a few visits what may take massage or therapy weeks/months to accomplish. If your doctor recommends a helmet, or DOC band, those can run several thousand dollars.
In the video below I share my thoughts on this topic.
If your baby has torticollis and you live in the San Fernando Valley, then you should call me. I’d love to help. Your baby doesn’t need to suffer. Something can be done about it! To make an appointment, click here.
To learn about other ways chiropractic can help kids, like infant constipation relief, click here.