When curved, the main symptom is an abnormal deviation of the head to one side.
Often occurs with a defect of the sternocleidomastoid muscle.
In general, torticollis is possible for any lesion of neck and vertebra tissues. More often there is torticulia in newborns, in which the structure of the body is still fragile and tender.
- Contents of the article
- What is spasmodic torticollis
- What causes tortoisesis in infants
- Symptoms of the disease
- Diagnostic techniques
- How to treat torticollis in infants
- Nontraditional therapies
- Surgical procedures
- Complications
- Preventive measures
What is spastic torticollis
Spastic torticollis in adults and infants
Spastic torticollis( G24.3) is a painful periodical or constant spasm of the neck muscles, because of which the head turns to the side andcant. ..
Causes of torticollis in infants
Congenital torticollis in a child is the result, often of complicated delivery, when the fetal head rotates at an angle to the mother's pelvis.
Sometimes after a mother, during pregnancy, infectious diseases, neonates are marked with torticollis.
In early infancy, a child may acquire a torticollis due to a chronic incorrect position of the head, for example, when the baby is not properly held.
Symptoms of the disease
Depending on what type of pathology, the symptoms may vary, but the main and incontrovertible symptom is any deviation of the head to the side and its abnormal turns.There are such abnormalities as scoliosis disorders( raised shoulder blade, shoulder girdle), chamfered neck, strained neck muscles, asymmetric folds in the buttock area, strabismus. Possible deterioration of hearing and vision, a different arrangement of the auricles.
The photo shows that the torticollis in newborn babies has the characteristic features of
Rarely, but it happens that the torticollis in infants has such symptoms as mental disorders, developmental lag, asymmetrical facial features.
The older the child, the easier it is to recognize the disease. With time, in the absence of treatment, the symptoms increase, new abnormalities appear, the abnormal inclination of the head is clearly visible.
His chest is deformed, there are bone changes of the spine, walking difficulties may occur, or the inability to walk at the right age.
Diagnostic procedures
Diagnosis of torticollis in children differs depending on the form of disease:
- Idiopathic torticollis in infants is diagnosed by a small, non-fixed inclination of the baby's head. When palpation, the muscle of one side is strained, but has a normal shape and length. The causes of such torticollis are not exactly known, but are often seen after complicated delivery.
- With myogenic torticollis, the affected muscle is shortened and sealed, a sharp inclination of the head appears, attempts to turn the head into a normal position cause the child pain. There are early and late myogenic torticollis. Early manifest immediately after birth, late in the third or fourth week. This kind of pathology is the result of prolonged intrauterine wrong position of the fetal head, or other pathology of the muscle fibers.
- Klippel-Feil disease , in which the cervical vertebrae can be joined into one block, or the number of vertebrae is smaller. Such a deviation leads to a pronounced pronounced curve, called osteogenic. The head of the baby in such cases is low set, turned aside, the growth of hair on the back of the head is weak. When trying to turn the head, the infant does not feel the pain.
- Neurogenic torticollis appears due to increased muscle tone on one side, and lowered on the other. Naturally, the consequence of this imbalance is the abnormal slopes of the head and the deformation of the spine. If you put a baby on your stomach, you can notice an arcuate curvature of the spine, from the affected side, the leg is pinched, the hand is compressed into a cam, the head is tilted. Turns of the head are not accompanied by pain, the functionality of the neck is full( any turns are possible).
- Arthrogenic torticollis .The cause is a subluxation of the atlantoaxial junction. The head in this case is strongly inclined and turned in the opposite direction from the slope. Mobility is extremely limited and painful.
Occupational disease carpal tunnel syndrome can be unpleasant with its consequences. Learn how to treat carpal tunnel syndrome from our article. Who is at risk of encountering such a disease as the calcaneal osteochondropathy? Methods of treatment and prevention of pathology.
loading. ..How to treat torticollis in infants
The key to successful treatment is the correct and timely diagnosed type of the disease.
With light deformations massage with curvature in babies is prescribed most often, gymnastics , special exercises are also applicable, the course of electrophoresis is .In the video, you can see how to do a torticoll massage in a baby.
If a newborn has a torticollis, then such treatment will be effective if parents have patience, which will have to perform the exercises prescribed by the doctor for a long time every day, go to the exercise room, if necessary, put a special tire on the child's neck.
With a spasmodic curvature, a doctor may prescribe additional swimming exercises in the pool. There is application of dry heat to the affected muscle.
Unconventional methods of treatment
In the photo, a special circle, if the child has a torticollis
Some parents sometimes resort to unconventional methods of treatment when the child is crooked.
So abroad, for example in the USA or Israel, you can order a course of treatment in the dolphinarium, while at the same time the child has the opportunity to go swimming in the pool, which has a positive effect on the muscles of the neck, and the ability to communicate with dolphins, in which the child is distracted and relaxed.
Assign, also, special herbs, which relieve the intense muscle tone and have, in general, a calming effect on the body.
Sometimes, with minor deviations, mostly related to the fact that the child sleeps on one side or in the wrong position, parents make a special pillow from cotton wool and bandage and put a baby under the head.
Surgical procedures
In case of unsuccessful physiotherapeutic treatment, which, in principle, is rarely unsuccessful, resort to an operative intervention, by which the affected muscle is brought to a natural position and shape.
One of the most complex operations is the microvascular decompression of the accessory nerve .The operation is performed at the intersection of the anastomosis of the accessory nerves with the roots.
Recovery after such an operation is expected within 4-5 months, the probability of recovery is about 80%.This operation can be carried out on the execution of the child's year and in particularly difficult cases.Complications of
If a newborn does not diagnose pathology in time, treats it incorrectly, or does not treat it at all, then the probability of serious acquired complications is high.With an established wrong tilt and turn of the head, the whole structure of the neck, as it were, becomes stiff, which makes the subsequent treatment more difficult.
Scoliosis develops, asymmetry of the face and entire skull develops, strabismus develops, the skills of proper walking deteriorate, due to thoracic bends the respiratory function is disrupted, some internal organs change position, the nasopharynx is disrupted, inflammatory processes in it.
Because of possible clamping of blood vessels in the neck, encephalopathy can develop. Memory, attention can be broken. Suffer the child's intellectual abilities.
Preventative measures
To avoid the appearance of torticollis in a newborn and in a more adult child, one should closely monitor his posture.
As the newborn spends more time in his crib - the correct selection of the stiffness of the mattress, the height, softness and the shape of the pillows are the main factors in the prevention of crankiness.
Mattresses are desirable to choose orthopedic in specialized stores. Toys on the bed should be placed evenly on both sides. Hold the child in turn from different directions.
In every possible way to provoke the baby to turn his head in the same direction in two directions. In the more mature age, there are exercises for the bearing of the child, the accrued muscular corset will maintain the correct position of the spine.
If desired, you can massage the child, record it for swimming. Regular examination at the doctor will allow to notice in due time any deviations in the locomotor apparatus of the child.
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