Baby Torticollis Treatment in Brisbane | Gentle Chiropractic Care for Infants

Have you ever noticed your baby’s head always tilting to one side? Perhaps you were strapping your little one onto the car seat on a typical Brisbane morning and noticed how they’re persistently leaning their head in a direction, almost like they’re constantly curious?

While it may look cute or just seem like a quirky habit, it could actually be baby torticollis. It is a common condition that affects approximately 1 in 6 babies. Don’t hit the panic button just yet – torticollis is usually easy to detect and treat!

In this article, we’ll unpack what baby torticollis is and the signs to look out for. We will also explain the benefits of gentle chiropractic care tailored for infants and how they may help your baby find relief!

What is Baby Torticollis? What causes it?

“Torticollis”, which in Latin translates directly to “twisted neck.”, is commonly known as a stuff neck. Unlike the ones adults experience, baby torticollis is often painless. It occurs when a baby’s neck muscles are tighter on one side, resulting in their head to tilt in a single direction. Often, the head leans to one side while the chin tilts to the other. It is a natural bodily response to relieve the tightened muscle. If you gently try to straighten your baby’s head and they resist or fuss, baby torticollis could be the culprit.

Why does it happen?

In many cases, torticollis is the result of a shortened or strained sternocleidomastoid (SCM) muscle in the neck, the big muscle running from behind the ear down to the collarbone. There are several potential reasons for it, as it can occur at any stage of your pregnancy. Sometimes it’s how the baby was positioned in the womb, as an awkward angle in late pregnancy can lead to a tight neck after birth. A difficult delivery or use of forceps/vacuum might also have put extra stress on a baby’s neck. Even after birth, babies who spend prolonged periods in a single position may develop torticollis from keeping that one side of the neck tight.

The important thing to know is that it’s no one’s fault! Baby torticollis is fairly common and can happen even with the most attentive parents and typical births.

Signs of Torticollis in Babies

How can you tell if your baby has torticollis? Here are some signs to watch for in your daily routine:

Head constantly tilted to one side
Limited head movement
Heavy preference to a certain side:
Pressures resulting in flat spot on the head
Neck muscle “knot”
General fussiness in certain positions

While not every baby with a stiff neck will show every single one of these signs, observing a couple of them is a good reason to investigate further. The earlier you spot torticollis, the easier it usually is to correct.

Why Early Intervention Matters

While it’s true that many babies with torticollis are generally pain-free and adapt to their limited neck movement, addressing torticollis early can make a world of difference for your baby’s development and comfort. Here are some reasons why it should be addressed early:

Slowed motor development: Restricted movement could result in missing movement milestones!
Helmet treatment: Severe cases of plagiocephaly caused by torticollis could require your baby needing helmets to recover.
Facial asymmetry: Prolonged torticollis could mould the baby’s facial features asymmetrically due to external pressures, such as jaw or ear misalignments.
Comfort and mood: Stiff neck isn’t fun for anyone! A baby without torticollis is a less grumpy one (and more sleep for you!).
Developing unhealthy habits: Babies may naturally develop habits to compensate for the torticollis such as arching their backs, which may spillover problems to other regions.
Easier treatment: The earlier baby torticollis is treated, the faster it is to recover!

In short, early attention prevents bigger problems down the track! Babies respond quickly when care starts young.

Easy Tips to Try at Home

Suspect that your baby might have torticollis? Here are some ideas you can try at home to gently encourage your baby’s neck to loosen up and strengthen the other side:

Switch up your feeding sides to encourage neck rotation!
Schedule tummy time to strengthen neck and shoulder muscles.
Alternate sleep positions so the baby turns their head both ways.
Encourage looking both directions by placing toys or mobiles on the non-preferred side!

Small changes like these, done consistently, can make a big difference! If you’re ever unsure about a technique, always check with a professional like a paediatric physio or chiropractor for guidance.

How Gentle Chiropractic Care helps Baby Torticollis

At Tan Chiro, we believe that your journey to giving your baby their best health doesn’t have to be done alone. We provide tailored chiro for babies and toddlers, a form of gentle, delicate and supportive therapy to support your baby’s recovery from torticollis.

We will start with a careful assessment of your baby’s condition, observing their behaviours and patterns to learn which areas of muscles need adjustment. We will also chat with you extensively to clarify any doubts or concerns you may have to best tailor the experience for you and your baby.

Chiro for babies and toddlers is extremely gentle and subtle with no cracking or popping involved! Babies’ joins are tender and easy to adjust, making it a simple, fast and effective way to fasttrack your baby’s recovery. By adjusting your baby’s spine and releasing the long accumulated tension, their SCM muscle can begin to lengthen and relax!

Our North Brisbane chiropractors have extensive experience with babies and young families. We recognise that each baby is unique and any treatment has to proceed at the baby’s comfort level.

What to Expect from Treatment Sessions

If you’re ready to take the first step for your baby’s recovery go for a visit, here’s what you could expect from our treatment sessions:

A full comprehensive consultation that assesses yours and the baby’s health history to see which treatments are the safest and most effective.
Gentle neck or shoulder adjustments using low-force techniques.
Muscle release for the tighter neck side identified
Supportive pillows and positioning to keep your baby comfortable throughout
Tailored tips for home recovery, such as sleeping advice and movement that helps release tension.

The bottom line is, infant chiropractic is safe, gentle and done entirely at your baby’s pace. Our goal is to provide a positive experience for both baby and parent, so your baby can go home more comfortable and you with a peace of mind.

Don’t Wait to Get Help

We know baby torticollis can be worrying, but help is always available. If anything in this article has reflected the behaviours of your little one, you may want to chat with a professional about it. We’re here to assist you through the process gently and delicately.

Feel free to book a consultation with our friendly team or simply give us a call to talk through your concerns. Let’s help your bub get moving comfortably again – one gentle turn at a time!