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Maria B. Forum All-Star
Joined: Jan 16 2006 Location: Virginia
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Posted: Jan 02 2007 at 8:49am | IP Logged
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My new baby, Lucy (4 m), was diagnosed with torticollis when she was 2 months old. We have been seeing a PT ever since to help correct the problem. I would be interested in hearing from any other moms out there who have experience with this.
God bless,
Maria
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Elizabeth Founder
Real Learning
Joined: Jan 20 2005 Location: Virginia
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Posted: Jan 02 2007 at 9:21am | IP Logged
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Maria,
CHIROPRACTIC! We're on our way right now with Karoline. It's amazing the progress she's made in a month. She's holding herself perfectly straight. As a bonus, she's much, much calmer and happier too.
__________________ Elizabeth Foss is no longer a member of this forum. Discussions now reflect the current management & are not necessarily expressions of her book, *Real Learning*, her current work, or her philosophy. (posted by E. Foss, Jan 2011)
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Angel Forum All-Star
Joined: April 22 2006
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Posted: Jan 02 2007 at 10:39am | IP Logged
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I've had 4 babies with mild to pretty bad torticollis. The earlier you start PT, the better, but in our case the tilt didn't totally go away until the babies started walking. Crawling also worked miracles on a lot of fronts. I had 2 who didn't crawl, though, and they used something called a TOT collar, which worked wonders with my dd, who had the most severe case of the four. (She couldn't lift her head off her shoulder.)
The good news is that all 4 of the kids now look like they've never had any problems. :-) If you look *very* closely, you can tell that my 7 yo daughter's eyes are *barely* out of alignment, because we ran into a doctor who told us it was just a "habit" and she'd grow out of it. So we didn't start therapy with her until 6 months. One of my 14 month old twins, who also had some other muscular difficulties, has the same incredibly small difference with his eyes, but other than that... they're all running, sitting, doing everything, perfectly straight!
--Angela
Three Plus Two
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Maria B. Forum All-Star
Joined: Jan 16 2006 Location: Virginia
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Posted: Jan 02 2007 at 11:57am | IP Logged
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Elizabeth and Angela, thanks so much for your replies.
All of us regularly see our chiropractor, including the baby. He is adjusting her once a week, in addition to the PT. You are so right ... he has helped a great deal. He also adjusts weekly two of my other daughters who have scoliosis and are in braces. Chiropractic medicine has been part of our lives since my sister married her chiropractor husband who parctices in Leesburg, VA!
Angela, I am interested in knowing if any of your kids with torticollis had problems with their skulls being misshapen. Lucy's MD is recommending a helmet. The right side of her skull has a slight protusion due to having her head always leaning on her right shoulder and not moving it around when she sleeps. Our orthotist has been measuring her head each time I am in the office for my daughters' scoliosis appointments and it has gotten worse in a period of three weeks. I don't want to overreact with the helmet as this is strictly cosmetic and the misshaped skull is not evident at first glance. At the same time, I do know that right now her skull is very maleable (spelling?) and if we are going to do something this is the time to do it.
She would have to wear the helmet 24/7. Now something that I want to "put her through", but I also want to be prudent.
Any experience with this?
Fondly,
Maria
Proud Mom of 10 great kids!
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MarilynW Forum All-Star
Joined: June 28 2006 Location: N/A
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Posted: Jan 03 2007 at 1:09pm | IP Logged
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Maria B. wrote:
Angela, I am interested in knowing if any of your kids with torticollis had problems with their skulls being misshapen. Lucy's MD is recommending a helmet. The right side of her skull has a slight protusion due to having her head always leaning on her right shoulder and not moving it around when she sleeps. Our orthotist has been measuring her head each time I am in the office for my daughters' scoliosis appointments and it has gotten worse in a period of three weeks. I don't want to overreact with the helmet as this is strictly cosmetic and the misshaped skull is not evident at first glance. At the same time, I do know that right now her skull is very maleable (spelling?) and if we are going to do something this is the time to do it.
She would have to wear the helmet 24/7. Now something that I want to "put her through", but I also want to be prudent.
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Hi Maria
One of my preemie twins had to wear a helmet for about 4-6 months. He had tortocollis and one side of his head was a little flat (from in utero position and preemie head) This was 7 years ago and I think the helmets were fairly newish. We saw a specialist at Children's Hospital in DC - and Nick had to wear the orthotic helmet. At first it used to upset me as it seemed so uncomfortable - but he got used to it. I am not sure how much good it did - but I do know that especially after his hair grew, we never noticed anything. We still have the helmet - makes me all emotional to look at it! Now I see many more kids with the helmets.
My toddler Matthew had tortocollis - he had about 2-3 months of physical therapy at the Children's Therapy Center (used to be in Sterling) - the main benefit was that I learned the exercised to do with him. My personal experience was that the therapy with exercise and retraining of muscles was much more beneficial than chiropractic (and I did do 3 or 4 chiropractic visits too). I am now a very wary of neck adjustments - having has a bad experience - although I will add that having chiropractic care was a life saver for me a few years ago.
__________________ Marilyn
Blessed with 6 gifts from God
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Angel Forum All-Star
Joined: April 22 2006
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Posted: Jan 03 2007 at 3:13pm | IP Logged
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Maria,
Helmets were mentioned with my dd, but by the time she got going in therapy and her assymetries were noted, she was too old for the helmet. Her skull *is* assymetrical. But you can't really tell now with her hair.
My other 3 developed symmetrically in spite of the tilt, so helmets weren't even an issue with them.
I think it depends on *how* assymetrical the development of the skull is. For instance, you mention it's gotten worse in the past three weeks even, so that may be what they're worried about.
--Angela
Three Plus Two
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Maria B. Forum All-Star
Joined: Jan 16 2006 Location: Virginia
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Posted: Jan 05 2007 at 11:49am | IP Logged
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[/QUOTE]
Hi Maria
One of my preemie twins had to wear a helmet for about 4-6 months. He had tortocollis and one side of his head was a little flat (from in utero position and preemie head) This was 7 years ago and I think the helmets were fairly newish. We saw a specialist at Children's Hospital in DC - and Nick had to wear the orthotic helmet. At first it used to upset me as it seemed so uncomfortable - but he got used to it. I am not sure how much good it did - but I do know that especially after his hair grew, we never noticed anything. We still have the helmet - makes me all emotional to look at it! Now I see many more kids with the helmets.
****************************************************
My little Lucy got her helmet yesterday. It is upsetting for me to see her have to wear it. Like you, she seems so uncomfortable. I know there are a lot, lot worse things in life, so my whiny is petty, but I fee so bad for her. Please pray that we all adapt to this well ... only 4-6 months.
__________________ Maria in VA
Proud Mom to 10 Great kids!
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