Chiroprator - Minneapolis,MN

The chiropractor isn't a bad idea but is absolutely NOT a subsitute for keeping up with the PT! Torticollis developes from short muscles. The chiropractor can help align the bones to help the muscles fall back into proper place but you need to continue to work on the muscles themselves. Only PT and exercise can fix that! Chiropractors are a great addition to medicine and are wonderfull for some problems but I think that too many people rely on them to solve all their problems when Chiropractors neither have the training nor the medical ability to do so!

I would definately recommend chiropratic. I worked for a chiropractor for years and my son was adjusted when we was 6 weeks old and he still see's the chiropractor on a regular basis. I have not experienced torticollis with my son but did see patients in the office with it. A consultation would be a great start to get another opinion. Good Luck!!!

Chiropractic care would be very helpful!
go to www.icpa4kids.com to find a pediatric chiropractor

We go to Health and Healing Family Chiropractic in Andover. They specialize in kids, and can help supplement the PT you're doing.

Oh S., S., S.!

I have a 20 month old who has had torticollis & plagiocephally since he was 4 months old. Since so many physical therapists recommend/refer to Dr. Wood, I would be surprised if Anders wasn't being treated by him. I asked Dr. Wood if he thought a chiropractor and/or massage therapist would help my son, Devin, at one point. Even though he believes that Devin's case was one of the worst cases he had dealt with in a long time (well that's what he told me), he has not seen it make a worthwhile difference in other patients and didn't think it would help our son. He did say we could try massage if we wanted, but didn't think it would make a difference worth the cost (it wasn't covered by our ins).

To deal with the ROM, I would increase the amount of PT you're doing at home. Between 9 and 12 months we did stretches up to 5 times/day. I suggest this because the PT only gets harder as he gets older - I'm sure you've experienced some of this already. The goal is to really, really try to get ROM by the time he's 12 months, and stretching that often did make a difference for us. As you already know, the stretching does help the ROM. I will warn you, however, your child will hate it. Ok, well, Devin hated it.

I've heard that the tilt corrects itself when the ROM is achieved. With Devin that appears to be the case. Other parents I've talked to did NOT lose the head tilt when full ROM was achieved, suspecting that it was "habit" to tilt.

Other parents have said the tilt can be cured by placing a piece of tape on his skin (the non-tort side) to help correct this. I know it sounds weird, but if I remember it correctly it helps. You first straighten the child's head manually, then place a piece of tape on his neck near the collar bone or behind the ear. Then everytime the child begins to tilt, the tape will become taunt and "remind" him to turn his head straight. The Yahoo! torticollis group has a bunch of posting about it, and you can go there to get specific directions if you are interested. Since Devin doesn't have a tilt I haven't tried it personally.

Good luck! Feel free to send me messages if you have questions, want to rant about dealing with torticollis, or just need to know that someone has been there!

I am a chiropractor in Omaha who has recently treated an infant with the exact situation you have described. He had torticollis from being too closely in the womb with his twin brother. He was brought to my office at about 6 months of age and had amazing results in a short amount of time (1-2 months). He was initially told by a physical therapist that he may have to have surgery because of the torticollis, but after chiropractic care he had full range of motion within his neck and full resolution of symptoms. The treatment is very low-force and gentle. In addition to joint mobilization, soft tissue (muscle) work is often incorporated by hand. I would recommend that you look at my website www.midcitychiro.com if you have other questions. I would be more than happy to answer any questions you may have regarding treatment if you give my office a call.

I wish you lived in my area! We have a WONDERFUL chiro that specializes in infants. Yes, your son definitely could be helped by a good chiropractor. There are always tons of people on this board that recommend specific chiropractors in your area, I hope they respond.
My daughter had torticollis and now she is perfectly fine. I have heard friends talk about how their babies had severe cases and the chiropractor totally resolved the problem.
On another note, people often are wary of chiropractics because they feel that once you go you HAVE to go ALL the time. That's not the case. Initially you may have to go once or twice a week but then they will space out the treatments until you just come in when you feel it's necessary.
If you have trouble finding a Dr. just ask some massage therapists. They often work hand in hand with chiropractors.
Good luck!

My son had very slight torticollis. I took him to my chiropractor and she fixed it with one treatment. She is located in Savage on Hiway 13. Julie Jesperson ###-###-####. It is worth a try, the she was very gentle with him and it also helped his reflux.