Torticollis Treatment for Children

Is Osteopathic Manipulation Safe For My Baby?

Yes! In May 2006, The American Journal of Pediatrics said: 

“Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment (OMT), particularly Osteopathy in the Cranial Field, is safe, effective, and well-tolerated in treating postural plagiocephaly, torticollis, and many other clinical conditions in children… Those of us who use the osteopathic approach to medicine rarely need to refer our patients for physical therapy or orthotics.”

Watch the testimonial below to hear why my patients are elated and understand additional benefits of this type of treatment.

Pediatricians Trust Us With Their Kids

“Dr. Banik was amazing! My infant daughter had moderate positional plagiocephaly with

torticollis which was refractory to repositioning techniques recommended by physical

therapy.  She was recommended for a helmet.  As a pediatrician myself, I did not want to

go this route – it is expensive, cumbersome, and the evidence for use in non-severe cases

was not convincing. Many fellow physician moms suggested I find a DO who specialized

in therapy for this specific issue. We could not have been happier with Dr. Banik.  My

daughter’s torticollis quickly resolved, and her head shape has normalized after a few

months.  Dr. Banik explained everything as she was doing it, and I was never worried that

any treatment would be dangerous or uncomfortable for my baby.  She was a pleasure to

visit each week, and my daughter seemed to enjoy it and would usually take a great nap

after treatments.”  -Amanda

What Does a Treatment from Osteopathic Healing Hands Look Like?

Most of our patients aren’t familiar with our type of medicine and we typically get the common question: “So you aren’t a chiropractor or a physical therapist, but treat with your hands?  What does a treatment look like?

Additional Benefits of Torticollis Treatment

Studies have shown infants treated with osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM) also experienced:

1. Improved ability to look to both sides when they previously favored one side 
2. Improved head shape so you can avoid the cost of a cranial helmet
3. Improved ability to breastfeed
4. Improved quality of sleep
5. Improved bowel movements
6. Improved eye tracking
7. Decreased reflux

Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment for babies is a highly successful, hands-on, non-invasive way to diagnose and treat the body. It uses zero equipment or machinery and can significantly improve and treat physical symptoms caused by conditions like Traumatic Torticollis

Causes of Postural Torticollis

Torticollis, also called wry neck or twisted neck, is a condition caused by tightened or shortened neck muscles. Children with this condition often have poor head control and tilt their head towards one side with the chin turned to the other side. This is usually observed in the first 6 to 8 weeks of life. In newborns, it can occur as a result of abnormal positioning of the head in the womb or birth trauma. In older children, it may result from injury to the neck muscles or from infections.

Torticollis in the young often arises from the trauma of giving birth or malpositioning in the womb.  The baby’s bones of the skull are designed to be as free as possible to allow for passage through the birth canal.  Sometimes they can get stuck, which will affect the nerve (called the spinal accessory nerve) that plays a major role in neck muscle functioning. One focus in osteopathic treatments is correcting anatomical dysfunction to allow for better function. For example, one of the bones at the base of the skull is called the occiput. Another bone is called the temporal bone. There is a hole created between these two bones called the jugular foramen through which many nerves and veins pass through. Now, if you imagine a traumatic birth experience where the bones of the occiput and temporal bone squished these nerves, then one side of the neck muscles would pull harder than the other side resulting in torticollis. My job would be to help restore the bones, through Torticollis treatment, to where they’re supposed to be so it takes pressure off this nerve and the baby can naturally correct its own posture.

Torticollis Symptoms

Children with Traumatic Ttorticollis may exhibit various signs and symptoms such as:

• Tilting of the head to one side with the chin pointing to the shoulder on the opposite side
• Limited ability to move the neck or turn the head
• One side of the face and head looks flattened (plagiocephaly) from the child laying their head on the same side while sleeping
• Painless swelling or mass in the neck (can appear in infants during the first month)
• Pain and stiffness in the neck; characteristic symptoms caused by injury or infection

Torticollis Diagnosis

Your physician will diagnose torticollis based on the birth history, which reveals the possibility of any birth injury and a careful physical examination.  X-rays and ultrasound examination of the neck may be done to rule out other abnormalities and confirm the diagnosis.  A thorough neurologic exam helps to assess the cause of torticollis.

Torticollis Treatment

Treatment of Torticollis is especially successful when started at an early age.  Physical therapy is a common treatment.  Osteopathic manipulative treatment is aimed at addressing the root cause of why torticollis exists and to resolve it from that respect.