The use of massage for torticollis in infants and the technique of its implementation

What is torticollis?

Symptomatically, the incorrect position of the baby’s head (fixed tilt to the side) is called torticollis. But you should know that there is also false torticollis , when the cause of this situation is ordinary muscle hypertonicity. Therefore, only a qualified doctor should make a diagnosis.

True torticollis occurs:

It is muscular torticollis that occurs most often , and we will mainly talk about it.

The most common muscular type of torticollis. This type of pathology occurs due to abnormal development of the sternocleidomastoid muscle.

Main causes:

• intrauterine muscle underdevelopment;
• birth injury (more common, according to orthopedists).

Symptoms of the disease:

• the child keeps his head on one side constantly, in different body positions;
• turns in the other direction with difficulty;
• when you grab the cervical muscles with your fingers from the side of the head tilt, a spindle-shaped seal is detected, painless;
• deformations of the skull can be seen.

The thickening of the sternocleidomastoid muscle increases maximum in the fifth or sixth week (up to 2.5 cm) . Usually by 6 months of age it disappears and is replaced by connective tissue. But in the absence of treatment, it can, on the contrary, grow, which will lead to shortening of the muscle and the negative consequences already mentioned above.

A few more facts about torticollis:

• also occurs in children born by caesarean section;
• According to statistics, it happens more often in boys than in girls;
• right-sided head rotation is more common;
• Among those suffering from torticollis, there are more babies with breech diligence in the womb.

Why is it important to start treatment as early as possible?

How to get rid of neck pain

Untreated torticollis over time leads to persistent deformation of the face and head shape, which clearly manifests itself by the age of 5-6 years. The eye on the affected side droops down, the auricle, as well as the lower jaw lag behind the healthy one in size. Underdevelopment of the lower jaw leads to abnormalities in the eruption of baby teeth, malocclusion, and speech impairment.

Incorrect formation of the temporal bone, within which the organs of hearing and balance are located, leads to hearing impairment, delayed onset of sitting, crawling and walking, and unstable balance. As a result of secondary changes, such a child develops clubfoot, scoliosis, and flat feet. I often suffer from severe headaches. Curved cervical vertebrae and a deformed neck compress large blood vessels, and as a result, the supply of oxygen decreases and the blood supply to the brain is disrupted.

Therefore, treatment should be started at 3 months or earlier, without waiting for such severe consequences.

General benefits of baby massage

Many people do not consider massage a necessary and effective procedure for both their young children and adults.

Before moving on to the need for massage for infants diagnosed with torticollis, let us dwell a little on its general benefits for the musculoskeletal system of children and adults :

• muscle elasticity increases;
• blood flow to muscles improves;
• has a regenerating (restorative) effect on muscles;
• optimizes blood supply to joints;
• strengthens ligaments;
• muscle tone increases;
• lymph and blood circulation improves.

Doctors often recommend baby massage from the first months even in the absence of diseases . It is also desirable for a special reason: large amounts of tactile touch are much more important for a baby than for an adult.

Several general strengthening exercises for newborns from 1 to 3 months

It is tactile sensations that are now the main way of cognition for him. It has been scientifically proven that massage promotes brain development, and children who do not experience “tactile hunger” develop better and faster.

In addition, massage at such an early age helps:

• normal development of the musculoskeletal system;
• stabilization of all processes in the body.

To improve the overall health of the child and his successful development, massage courses are recommended from 3-4 months. In case of diseases, for example with torticollis, it can usually be indicated from 2-4 weeks .

Video: “Exercises for congenital muscular torticollis”

General rules

If torticollis is caused by muscle deformation, then treatment is carried out with positioning, courses of therapeutic massage and passive exercises, physiotherapy, and swimming lessons are useful. Therapy for the spastic form of the disease is carried out by a neurologist, and medications are added to the treatment methods described above.

Torticollis, caused by muscle deformation, is treated with position and a course of therapeutic massage

The osteoarticular form of torticollis is treated by reducing the dislocation and long-term immobilization (immobilization) of the neck using a Shants collar, immobilization with a plaster cast or a plastic holder.

The skin-scar form of torticollis can only be treated surgically using removal or plastic surgery of areas of skin with rough scars.

Massage for torticollis for infants

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Together with physical therapy exercises, massage increases the elasticity of muscles, brings them to the correct tone (lowers it on one side of the neck and increases it on the other). Also improves blood flow in damaged and healthy muscles.

Basic principles of therapeutic massage for those suffering from torticollis:

• Both sides are massaged: both the sore muscle and the healthy one.
• Only relaxing techniques are used on the damaged muscle (stroking, very gentle rubbing, vibration).
• On the healthy side, tonic techniques are also used (rubbing, pressing, tapping).
• During the massage, the baby's head is tilted to the side.

Massage for torticollis should be performed 3-5 times a day. It is very important to entrust the massage to a good specialist for maximum effectiveness and the absence of unpleasant consequences. Manipulations can cause discomfort and pain to the child, so it is important that a competent massage therapist regulates the force and finds a compromise between the baby’s comfort and the desired effect.

At the same time, be prepared for the fact that you will still have to learn from a professional and additionally do a backup massage yourself.

Massage and exercise therapy are recommended 3-5 times a day during the course (from 10 to 20 days with breaks of 1-1.5 months) . Often parents get tired of this rhythm of procedures and do not complete the treatment at the first signs of improvement. This should not be allowed, and it is important to work with specialists to cope fully.

Remember that massage is most effective when treated early – immediately after diagnosis. The more time has passed, the more difficult it is to treat with any methods, including massage.

You should also be aware of the contraindications that, despite the safety of the method, still exist.

Torticollis cannot be treated with massage if the baby has:

• febrile illnesses;
• malnutrition (severe);
• purulent skin diseases;
• cervical vertebrae are affected (deformation, prolapse, etc.);
• neck inflexion;
• diseases of internal organs in the acute stage;
• rickets;
• hernias;
• infectious diseases.

If the child clearly experiences severe pain during massage, this is also a relative contraindication . When even a professional massage therapist cannot find the right force, it is better to abandon manipulation and focus on other methods. But most often it is possible to achieve a satisfactory level of comfort for a small patient.

Video: “How to massage with torticollis at home?”

Where to begin?

If you suspect the presence of torticollis in a newborn, it is necessary, first of all, to see a pediatric orthopedist-traumatologist, and if pathology of the osteoarticular system is excluded, a neurologist, ENT doctor. It is possible that X-ray, ultrasound and other examinations will be required to verify the diagnosis.

Treatment of torticollis in an infant should begin immediately, but it must be remembered that this is a complex and lengthy process. They start with conservative ones, i.e. gentle techniques, and only if they are ineffective and it is impossible to cure the pathology completely, after the child reaches 2-3 years of age, a decision is made on surgical intervention. In this case, an incision or plastic lengthening of the damaged muscle is performed.

Massage technique for torticollis

The massage begins in a supine position . The head is turned towards the affected muscle to avoid unnecessary stress on it.

Optimal sequence:

1. Massage of all parts of the body . General rubbing of the chest, abdomen, arms and legs. Light vibration can be applied to the chest. The chest and back are massaged from bottom to top, and the limbs - from the fingers to the torso.
2. Neck massage from the healthy side . Both relaxing and tonic techniques should be present here. You can use rubbing, kneading and pressing. The muscles on this side are weakened, so it’s worth focusing on strengthening techniques. It is appropriate here to alternate stroking with rubbing, then kneading, and acupressure.
3. Massage on the side of the torticollis . You need to act very carefully and only relax. Stroking, very light rubbing, stretching and gentle vibration are acceptable.
4. You need to massage your cheeks too.
5. Then the child can be turned onto his stomach , massage his neck in this position and stroke his back.
6. Finish by stroking your arms and legs.

Pay attention to the main nuances of the massage technique and a little more about the procedure technique on the sore side of the neck:

• The direction of movement is from the space behind the ear to the collarbone, from top to bottom.
• The muscle can be grabbed crosswise with your fingers and stretched back and forth, but very carefully, without much effort.
• Vibration can be done with the palm of your hand, placing it on the muscle and making gentle vibrating movements.
• For easy stretching, place the thumbs of both hands on the center of the affected muscle, and smoothly spread them in different directions along its entire length. This technique may require an assistant to hold your baby. You can stretch only after the relaxing techniques described above.
• The seal should also be given special attention: while massaging the entire muscle, very gently stroke, rub and knead it.

The duration of one session is usually 10-15 minutes.

Swimming

Swimming raises many questions for mothers. Therapeutic swimming is prescribed by a doctor and is carried out under the supervision of a specialist in medical institutions. And only if the doctor allows you to start swimming at home with a neck ring for newborns. This activity will be beneficial for muscular and neurogenic torticollis. In addition, it will strengthen the muscles of the torso, upper and lower extremities, increase the overall activity of the baby, and give positive emotions and new sensations. If the disease is caused by osteoarticular pathology, then stress on the cervical spine is contraindicated. It can worsen the symptoms of torticollis.

You can start using the circle after the child reaches 1 month, and continue until 5-6 months, until the baby begins to touch the bottom of the bathtub with his feet. Some people use it for up to a year in the pool.

Danger

As already mentioned, treatment for a newborn should begin when the first symptoms of torticollis appear (preferably from 2–3 weeks of life). Otherwise, the following consequences are possible:

• Asymmetry of the head and face.
• Kyphosis is a backward curvature of the spine.
• Scoliosis is a curvature of the spinal column to the left or right relative to the axis.
• Osteochondrosis.
• Mental retardation.
• Stress, neuropsychiatric diseases.
• Unpleasant sensations when turning the head.

Asymmetry of the skull with torticollis

In addition, there is a visual deformation in the form of a head constantly tilted towards the shoulder.

Can the disease be prevented?

The main principle of disease prevention is the successful course of pregnancy and childbirth, which depend on the mother’s lifestyle and her compliance with doctors’ recommendations.

To prevent installation torticollis, the mother should place the baby with his head at different ends of the crib after each feeding (for example, either with his head towards the entrance to the room or with his head towards the window). This is necessary because the newborn spends most of his time in the cradle, turning his head to the side free from the wall in order to observe the colorful spots of interior items and flickering silhouettes. And with this method of styling, uniform head movements are stimulated in both directions.

Torticollis is not a death sentence. Remember, the disease is highly correctable, and treatment of torticollis in newborns is successful. Consistency, regularity, diligence and boundless patience of the mother are the key to effective treatment. After recovery, no restrictions arise in adult life, and grown children are no different from their peers.