Torticollis
Some people have loved ones they will not forsake, even though they are a pain in the neck - Lewis B. Smedes
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Torticollis, a pain in the neck
Have you ever gone to bed perfectly fine and woken up the next morning with a stiff, painful neck where your head stays tilted to one side? Sometimes the pain can be so acute that just lifting your head from your pillow is strenuous, and once you are up you cannot turn your head to one side. You might be experiencing a torticollis or what is more commonly called a wry neck. It can be quite a disabling and painful experience but there are solutions to get to the bottom of the problem.
Typically, torticollis involves a tilt of the head, reduced ranges of motion of the neck and painful muscle spasms in the neck and upper back area. This condition is mainly an involuntary contraction of…
Resources
Let’s Talk About Torticollis
Unless you’ve dealt with it in your family, you may have never heard of torticollis. But, if your baby is experiencing torticollis, you are probably concerned and even a little frightened. Don’t worry!
How I Handled the News: 'Your Baby Needs a Helmet'
I saw the flat spot. I had seen it since he was born. My husband and I tried to adjust the car seat; to use a baby positioner; to try to turn his head more one way rather than the other. But none of it had worked. After six months of trying, now we were here in a specialist's office being told our baby needed a helmet.
Tips For Torticollis Stretching
I want to be clear (and I say this multiple times in the video), this isn’t to be implemented on your own. It is to help you implement the exercises that your PT or doctor has shown you for helping your baby. Please talk to them about these ideas!
What You Can Do to Help Relieve Your Baby’s Torticollis
It’s alarming to see your baby’s head tilt to one side. Torticollis — Latin for “twisted neck” — can develop in boys or girls from birth through 3 months of age. “Torticollis can be frightening for parents. But most kids do very well, especially when torticollis is identified early and treated quickly,” says pediatrician David Burke, DO.
Why Chrissy Teigen's Son Wears A Corrective Helmet
The medical condition is positional plagiocephaly. No, not plagio-selfie. Not pledge of allegiance to yourself. But positional plagiocephaly otherwise known as deformational plagiocephaly or the more descriptive "flat head syndrome." This is when your baby has a flat spot on the back or side of his or her head. If position changes don't work or your infant has reached at least 6 months of age, you may want to try helmet therapy, on your infant, that is, and not yourself. This entails your infant donning a helmet for 23 hours each day to mold his or her head into a more even shape.
Torticollis, a pain in the neck
Torticollis is not a diagnosis in itself but more like a sign for an underlying condition.
National Spasmodic Torticollis Association
The mission of the National Spasmodic Torticollis Association is to support the needs and well being of affected individuals and families; to promote awareness and education; to advance research for more treatments and ultimately a cure.
My Torticollis Baby
Sharing our journey to make yours easier.
eMedicine
Atlantoaxial rotary subluxation (AARS) of C1 on C2 is important to consider and leads to a presentation similar to torticollis. It is predominant in children and generally occurs after minor trauma, pharyngeal surgery, an inflammatory process, or upper respiratory tract infection. It is thought to be precipitated by retropharyngeal edema
KidsHealth
Some babies with torticollis also will develop a flat head (positional plagiocephaly) on one or both sides from lying in one direction all the time. Or they might develop a small neck lump or bump, which is similar to a "knot" in a tense muscle. Both of these conditions tend to go away as the torticollis gets better.
Patient
The pain is usually on one side of your neck and stiffness of the muscles in that area twists the neck to one side. You may find it very difficult when you try to straighten your neck, due to pain. Occasionally, the pain is in the middle of your neck.
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