Can Chiropractic Help Congenital Torticollis?

Congenital torticollis (congenital means "from birth") is a sustained spasm of an infant's neck muscles, which, if it lasts long enough, can cause the muscles themselves to shorten, become fibrotic, and even fill with scar tissue. Many forms of congenital torticollis are painless, but cause considerable problems with the child's ability to develop proper hand-eye coordination. If the torticollis affects the development of the skull, it may even cause learning disabilities.

Torticollis is often a classical musculoskeletal condition: that is, either the muscles themselves are directly injured, or the nerves which supply the muscles are dysfunctional. Musculoskeletal conditions respond dramatically to chiropractic treatment, since the chiropractic adjustment is designed to directly affect the nervous system, the spinal column, and the adjacent muscles.

After a long history of torticollis success, chiropractors have a great deal of confidence with this condition. Due to the chronic nature of congenital torticollis, it does take time to improve. Most congenital torticollis resolves after several weeks or months of care. Often, the muscles must first be relaxed before they can heal and regenerate.

Johnson Family Chiropractic is pleased to provide the gentle Activator Methods adjustment. No further bending or twisting of the neck is necessary, since the Activator instrument delivers just the right amount of delicate force in just the right direction without any need for additional tension in the neck. Once the essential Activator adjustment has been delivered, stretching, massage, and repositioning (all of which you can do at home) are excellent strategies to continue the healing process in your child's neck. These are some non-invasive and non-drug ways to restore proper function. Be sure to ask Dr. Johnson if your child needs a helmet, and he will advise you on the best way to help your child's proper development.

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