Physical Therapy For Your Child With Torticollis

Physical therapy is important when your child is born with congenital Torticollis in the muscle. When your child is born with this, you might not know what it means, and you might be a little scared. This is a problem with the neck where a child will only want to look one direction because the muscles are tight or in some cases because of a malformation of the cervical vertebrae. It is actually important to know what is causing your child's problem because it is important if your child has not yet had an x-ray of his or her spine

If your child was born with Torticollis, it is considered congenital. The muscular type can be treated through physical therapy. The type that has to do with a malformation in the bones cannot be treated in this way. If it is the type that has to do with the bones, you will also need to have your baby's hearing and kidneys checked, as these can be associated problems with this type of Torticollis.

If your baby does have Torticollis, he or she will probably not want to lay their head on the one side. This can cause an asymmetrical shape to the skull. Although it is not dangerous, it can be disfiguring, so it is important to get help with this, or they may end up needing to wear a helmet to correct it.

Within physical therapy there are different techniques that might be beneficial for your baby with Torticollis. Myo-fascial release is one type. One that is associated with this is cranio-sacral. Both of these will be beneficial if your child has the muscular form of Torticollis.

Sometime insurance does not cover as much physical therapy as you would like. Another option is to see if they cover an occupational therapist because someone in this profession is also trained in physical therapy.

If your insurance will not cover either of these, another option is to find an Osteopathic doctor or see if one is already on staff at your pediatrician's office. Some doctors trained in Osteopathy are also trained to do some manipulation for Torticollis.

It may take some work, but you should be able to find the help that you need for your child's problem. It is important to remember that you are your child's advocate. You are the one who speaks for them and makes decisions for them until they are able to do it on their own.