Have you noticed that your baby always has their head turned or tilted to the one side?
You might have noticed a flat spot on your baby’s head.
Hi, my name is Angela from Miami Physiotherapy and I am here to talk about the signs of torticollis (or congenital muscular torticollis) and how physiotherapy can help.
Torticollis is a physical condition characterized by an asymmetrical tightness in the neck muscles, resulting in a noticeable tilt and rotation of the head toward one side. This tightness creates an imbalance in the neck, leading to an abnormal posture and restricted range of motion. The affected individuals often find their head consistently inclined and turned, causing discomfort and difficulty in maintaining a normal alignment.
There are two main types that physiotherapy can help with:
Positional:
This is usually just your baby preferring to position their head always to one side. It is easily correctable by changing your baby’s sleeping and play space. However, it’s important to also check if there are underlying reasons behind your baby’s preference to look one way more than the other. You’ll need to learn how to position your baby and modify your play space to prevent the development of a flat spot.
Muscular:
This type of torticollis is caused by the shortening of the sternocleidomastoid muscle. It takes longer to correct as the muscle tightness needs to be addressed. However, the muscle can be stretched effectively with some exercises and positional changes at home. Again you’ll need to learn how to stretch your baby’s neck muscles correctly and how to change your baby’s sleeping and play areas.
If you are concerned about your baby’s head position, book a check-up for your little bub with our physios. We can assess your baby to determine the cause of the torticollis and teach you the correct ways to stretch your baby’s tight neck muscles.
Watch our video for some ways to make some adjustments at home and start to help your baby.
Visit us at the Miami/Lakelands Physiotherapy clinic for a thorough assessment of your little ones for more individualized treatments and tips!
