Side Lay-to-Sit Strengthening

This torticollis exercise is a great two-for-one exercise.  Since Kellyn has right torticollis, it helps her strengthen her weak left side neck muscles by working against gravity.  In addition, it helps her learn to more easily transition into different positions.  This will help her with her motor skill progression.  In this post, I will share both my video demo AND the written step-by-step instructions (with pictures) for this exercise.

Video Tutorial:

Torticollis Exercises on an Older Baby

I understand why most people say its ideal to catch torticollis before baby reaches four months old.  Torticollis treatment is often easier and faster, the earlier you catch it. My daughter is now eleven months and it is so much more difficult doing her torticollis stretches and exercises. She is very mobile and strong now and can easily wiggle out of many positions I attempt to put her in. The stretches are especially challenging, while the strengthening exercises are slightly easier to accomplish compared to the stretches.

Just realized one of her socks is missing. Whoops :)

TOT Collar Video Review & Product Demo

Here is my second product review of the TOT Collar for treatment of torticollis.  When my daughter was seven months old, I tried this out on my daughter and it didn't too work well for her at that time.  I think her neck was too short and chunky at that age for it to work correctly.  Thankfully, I tried it again when she was an older baby and it worked a whole lot better for her.  I think the TOT Collar is a great supplement to regular physical therapy for torticollis. 

PT Re-Evaluation #2 Update

Kellyn had another outpatient physical therapy re-evaluation for her torticollis and it went really well!  She's nine months old and has been in physical therapy now for three months.  So basically 1/3 of her little life here in this world has been in physical therapy.  Considering the various things she's been through since birth (esophagus surgery, NICU stay, X-rays, numerous doctor's appointments, and physical therapy), she is one tough little cookie.  Anyways, check out my video update on the outcome of this re-evaluation.

Torticollis Regression Due to Illness

So Kellyn has a head tilt regression due to sickness. Poor girl has a runny nose, cough, chest congestion, and wheezing. Her torticollis was really looking better up until recently. However, once the onset of her illness occurred, her head tilt has increased. She's having trouble eating, sleeping, and especially doing her physical therapy exercises. She cries and resists her stretches and strengthening exercises much more than usual.

Still managed to get a smile out of this little sick one.

Side-Lying Torticollis Stretch using Boppy Pillow

This is a great right torticollis stretch we learned at physical therapy for our daughter.  A Boppy Pillow, which seems to be a staple in most parents' homes, is needed for this stretch.  In this post, both a video tutorial AND step-by-step instructions with a picture will be provided to explain this torticollis stretch.

Video Tutorial:

How to Use the TOT Collar for Torticollis

When I first bought the TOT collar for my baby's torticollis, I remember scouring the internet for video tutorials on how to use the TOT collar.  Unfortunately, I was unable to find one.  Therefore, I decided to put together this video to help other parents who are new to using the TOT collar.  This video explains how I fit and apply the TOT collar to my daughter's neck to treat her torticollis.  For those unfamiliar with the TOT Collar, it is a device that goes around the child's neck and limits their ability to tilt their head to their preferred side.  For more info, you may first want to check out my video demo and review of this product.

Torticollis Progress: Video Update

To change it up, I decided to do a video update on Kellyn's progress versus a regular blog post update.  In this video, she's almost ten months old and has been in physical therapy for approximately twelve weeks.  Watch the video below to see how she's progressing in physical therapy:

Sitting to Crawling Position

As I mentioned before, babies' torticollis may improve once crawling becomes established.  That's why I spend time doing physical therapy exercises that encourage crawling.  This specific exercise will help my daughter become more comfortable moving from the sitting position to crawling position.  When babies first start crawling, they will often get into crawling position from the seated position.  So this exercise encourages that natural transition that babies will often make into crawling position.  I am including a video  and written directions (with pictures) below to demonstrate how I do this exercise with my daughter.

Video Tutorial:

Torticollis Pictures: 11 Weeks of PT

So it's about that time again when I post Kellyn's progress pictures from physical therapy for her torticollis.  Comparing to her six week pictures, I would say she has improved tremendously.  Now keep in mind though that her six week pictures were taken on a day that she was having a "bad torticollis day".  Even still, I notice a great improvement overall as compared to when she first started physical therapy.

Her right head tilt is negligible in this picture,
and her right neck depression looks much less noticeable.

Last Chiropractic Appointment for Torticollis

So today was Kellyn's third and final chiropractic adjustment.  I don't necessarily think its what the chiropractor would have recommended, but that's what my husband wanted.  He was never super comfortable with the idea of Kellyn going in the first place.  And Kellyn's torticollis is doing pretty well lately, so he figured it was not worth the small risk of something potentially bad happening from the adjustment.  And I'm fine with this decision.  I plan to watch her over the next few weeks to make sure she doesn't experience any big regressions.  I also want to make sure that her improvement continues on in an upward trend.  If we notice Kellyn's torticollis worsening, Ryan and I will discuss whether or not we want to start back up with chiropractic.

My beautiful baby girl bundled up and ready to go to the chiropractor.

Tortle Video Review (used for Plagiocephaly)

Below is my video review of the Tortle, a beanie designed for the prevention and treatment of mild plagiocephaly (flat head syndrome).  The Tortle company gave me this adorable pink one to try out for this product review.  Babies with torticollis are at higher risk for developing flat spots on their head.  If your baby has been diagnosed with torticollis and has not developed a flat spot, it may be worthwhile to use this product as a preventative measure.  And if your baby already has a mild flat spot (not severe enough to warrant helmet therapy), the Tortle may potentially help.  If you believe the Tortle may benefit your baby, you can purchase it here.  


 
Disclosure:  If you purchase this item through my Amazon affiliate link, I will receive a percentage of the purchase price.  This can help me to continue providing you quality content and resources about torticollis.  Click here for more info.

Shoulder Stretch for Elevated Shoulder

Along with her right torticollis, my daughter often elevated her right shoulder.  This caused her torticollis to look a lot worse than it actually was.  Once I started doing this stretch with her regularly, I noticed that she did not raise her shoulder up as much or as frequently.  If your baby doesn't elevate her shoulder, then disregard this stretch. As you'll see below, I included a video tutorial and written instructions to show you how I do this stretch with my daughter.

Video Tutorial: 

Torticollis Physical Therapy Re-evaluation

Kellyn had her eight week re-evaluation with her outpatient physical therapist today. Kellyn must have known she had to perform because she was having "a good torticollis day." Anyways, the physical therapist noticed continued improvement in her muscle strength and flexibility. She was also happy to see that Kellyn's head tilt was negligible while lying on her back.

As you can see, Kellyn's head looks nice and straight while lying down.
Maybe she's showing off for her big brother.

Kinesio Tape for Torticollis: Round 2

So Kellyn's first application of Kinesio Tape did not seem to improve her torticollis.  It was applied to the affected side of her neck (the side she tilts to) and in a method to encourage muscle relaxation.  After taking a little over a week break from the Kinesio Tape, our physical therapist from the early intervention program tried a different technique on Kellyn.  She applied the tape to the unaffected side of her neck to encourage muscle facilitation.  This makes sense since the unaffected side of Kellyn's neck has weaker muscles.

This is the second application of Kinesio Tape on her neck for torticollis.

1st Chiropractic Adjustment for Torticollis

As I mentioned before, Ryan and I have been considering supplementing Kellyn's physical therapy with chiropractic treatment. Before Kellyn got diagnosed with torticollis, I would have never imagined I would be taking my baby to a chiropractor. However, torticollis is a stubborn little condition that improves very gradually. So, after two months straight of daily physical therapy exercises, I was ready to take it up a notch. After hearing such awesome reviews about chiropractic from other "tort parents", I started wondering if perhaps it could work for Kellyn. After praying, researching, watching YouTube videos of pediatric adjustments, and having a consultation with the chiropractor, we finally felt comfortable scheduling the chiropractic appointment for Kellyn.

Kellyn's torticollis presentation one day after her first chiropractic adjustment.

Supported Crawling Position

You may be wondering, 'Why are you concerned about crawling? Shouldn't you be working on torticollis-specific exercises?'. By encouraging Kellyn to learn to crawl, I am indirectly treating her torticollis. Once she starts to crawl, she will hopefully be less likely to tilt her head. Before a baby crawls, she obviously needs to first be comfortable on all four's. This exercise focuses on becoming comfortable on hands and knees, which is a precursor to crawling. Below I have a video tutorial and written step-by-step instructions to show you this simple exercise.

Video Tutorial:

Consultation with Chiropractor

We recently had a consultation with a chiropractor who has experience working with babies and children.  She came highly recommended to us by our daughter's outpatient physical therapist.  My husband and I have been considering supplementing Kellyn's PT with chiropractic since we have heard a lot of positive feedback from other parents of babies with torticollis.

Gloria Rosazza © 123RF.com | glopphy

Range of Motion Stretch for Right Torticollis

In addition to a head tilt, many babies with torticollis also have limited range of motion in the neck to one side.  Kellyn's limited range of motion is to her right side.  Therefore, I stretch her head in the right direction.  In this post, I will provide both a video demonstration AND a written explanation of the exercise (with pictures).

Video Tutorial:

 

Kinesio Tape Removal

Kellyn has had the Kinesio Tape on the affected side of her neck for about four days. As I mentioned, I did not feel this first application technique we tried made a noticeable difference. However, I do not want to give up on it yet, as there are a few other application techniques we could potentially try. Ryan and I decided to remove the Kinesio Tape today since she had her big appointment at the Torticollis Clinic at Children's National Medical Center coming up. We wanted the clinic to see her torticollis in its "natural state" without any potential aiding from the tape.

Range of Motion Exercise #2

Here's another simple range of motion exercise we learned at physical therapy that helps increase Kellyn's range of motion towards her right side.  Its very common to have limited range of motion to one side with torticollis.  Please note that these exercises are for her limited range of motion of head towards the right side.  Both a video tutorial and written step-by-step instructions are included for your convenience.

Video Tutorial:

Stretches Possibly Worsening Torticollis

Kellyn's outpatient physical therapist made an astute perception about Kellyn's torticollis at her physical therapy session last week.  She noticed that Kellyn was resisting frequently during her neck stretches.  The physical therapist said I should not stretch Kellyn if she is resisting because I could indirectly be strengthening the right neck muscle that is overactive.

These were the good ol' days when Kellyn was much more compliant with her torticollis stretches.
Amazing, how much can change within a few weeks time.

 

Torticollis Clinic Appointment

Today was our appointment at the Torticollis Clinic at Children's National Medical Center in Washington D.C.  We were excited to see medical professionals who specialize in the treatment of torticollis specifically. Of course, Kellyn's head tilt was super minimal today. I almost wished that she was having a "bad torticollis day" on the day of this appointment, so they could see her at her worst.

At the appointment, Kellyn was evaluated by a nurse practitioner and a physical therapist. The women put Kellyn in various positions and they had her demonstrate various motor skills.  After they were done working with Kellyn, they took the time to explain their observations and provide recommendations.

Artisticco LLC © 123RF.com | artisticco

Snuggin Go & Torticollis Support Kit Review

Some parents told me about the Snuggin Go and the Torticollis Support Kit that they used for their babies with torticollis.  Not knowing much about these products, but desperate for any potential solution to help Kellyn, I bought these items.  I'll go ahead and review these products for you.  In this post, I'm including both a video review and a written product review.

Kellyn using the Snuggin Go and the Torticollis Support Kit in her high chair.

Football Hold Strengthening for Right Torticollis

This is a great exercise for Kellyn to work against gravity and strengthen her weak side of her neck muscles.  She also stretches the tight side of her trunk muscles during this exercise.  This is a great two-for-one exercise as it simultaneously works her neck and trunk muscles in different ways.  In this post, I'll include both a YouTube video demonstration AND step-by-step written instructions with a picture.  Please note that this exercise is for babies with right torticollis.

Video Tutorial:

Seven Weeks into Physical Therapy

So here are some pictures seven weeks into physical therapy. Although Kellyn has had some plateaus and regressions since her four week pictures, today happened to be a "good torticollis day." I knew I had to capture it on camera. Basically, Kellyn was holding her head at mid line a lot more frequently than usual. In addition, she was not raising her right shoulder as much as she normally does.

Since she's looking straight ahead, her head tilt is less noticeable here.
Although she still has a slight C-shaped curvature in her trunk,
it's improved dramatically since the beginning of PT.

 

Stability Ball Strengthening for Right Torticollis

Since Kellyn's left neck and trunk muscles are both weak, this is a great two-for-one strengthening exercise for her.  This exercise looks so fun that my son Luke gets jealous when I do this with her.  The only way I can complete this exercise with Kellyn is if I promise that he gets a turn doing the ball exercise after her.  Just what I need...even more physical therapy exercises to do :) Anyways, here's a video tutorial AND step-by-step written instructions (with pictures) below.  This exercise is for babies with right torticollis.

Video Tutorial:

Kinesio Taping for Torticollis

So yesterday, I took Kellyn to a chiropractor who happens to be a Certified Kinesio Taping Practitioner (CKTP).  The chiropractor did a brief evaluation of Kellyn, asked about medical history, and then got started with Kinesio Taping. 

The process was pretty quick and simple.  She basically used three small pieces of Kinesio Tape on her neck area.  She taped her on the side of her neck that she tends to tilt.  The method she used should encourage muscle inhibition.  This makes sense because Kellyn's right side of her neck has tight, overactive muscles.  She explained to me that there are a few different methods to try.  She said we can give this method a few days to evaluate whether or not it worked.  If it doesn't work, we can try the other alternative ways.

If you look closely, you can see the beige colored Kinesio Tape on her neck area.

Six Weeks of PT

So I'm not as excited about these six week pictures as I was about the four week pictures.  As you can see her torticollis looks worse in these pictures than it did just a couple of weeks prior.  Her tilt has likely worsened because she is teething.

Torticollis Clinic Appt. Moved Up & Chiropractic Consultation Scheduled

I have great news! Our torticollis clinic appointment at Children's National Hospital got moved up by three weeks. I believe there was a cancellation, so Kellyn was able to get that appointment. I know that this is a great blessing from God. He certainly knows how anxious I am to get Kellyn seen by these specialists.

John Takai © 123RF.com | cteconsulting

Tilt Regression

Disappointment and frustration are starting to creep up on me again.  I felt like Kellyn's four-week physical therapy evaluation went so well and that she was improving.  I thought it was going to be a continuous improvement from there on out.  But recently, it looks like her torticollis got worse.  She seems to be tilting her head more and doing this more frequently.  And she seems to be more resistant to me stretching her neck in the opposite direction.  It's like her neck is completely stubborn and doesn't want to change.

I don't think Kellyn was too happy about getting her picture taken here.

Treating Torticollis with Alternative Medicine

So its been a little over a month of treating Kellyn's torticollis with physical therapy.  And she has certainly made progress, but she has not improved to the degree I would have expected considering how much time I spend daily working with her.  I truly believe that physical therapy is the best and most effective treatment for torticollis.  However, I am getting at the point where I would consider adding in some alternative medicine approaches to complement her physical therapy treatment plan.  If there is additional things I could be doing to help my daughter recover faster, I want to do them. 

I have heard of a variety of different alternative medical treatment approaches for torticollis.  Chiropractic, acupuncture, accupressure, massage therapy, osteopathy, cranial sacral therapy, and heat treatment have all been listed as various alternative methods of treating torticollis.  I have read numerous posts from parents who have had great success using several of these previously mentioned alternative medical approaches.  Each time I read about their experiences, I get excited about the possibility of my daughter also improving from these alternative treatments.

kudryashka © 123RF.com | kudryashka

Overwhelmed with the Treatment Process

The past couple weeks has been pretty hectic for our family.   Ryan's back has been really bothering him and he is pretty limited to how he can help with the kids or with housework.  Unfortunately, he is now unable to help me get Kellyn's in-home exercises done, so its solely up to me to make sure this gets done.  Also, we have been spending a lot of time researching and shopping around for a new car since our car got totaled from the car accident two weeks ago.  In addition, we have also had so many things like doctor's appointments and various commitments to go to.  

With so much going on, its been tricky to get in the recommended minimum of five sets of physical therapy in-home exercises for Kellyn.  I feel that Kellyn's head tilt has gotten worse recently because I haven't been working with her as frequently at home.  Regardless of what else is going on, I need to remind myself daily to make her in-home exercises a priority.  Most days, I find it unrealistic to get all five sets of her exercises done, while also attending to daily household responsibilities and taking care of my family's needs.  Each day, I feel like I can't win no matter how hard I try.  

Discovered Torticollis Clinic Nearby

Today, Kellyn had an appointment with her physical therapist from the early intervention program.  I am still so thrilled that she comes to our house for the appointment.  That makes it so much easier!  Anyways, her PT shared some extremely helpful information with me.  She told me about a torticollis clinic at Children's National Medical Center in Washington DC.  That's less than one hour away from us.  You better believe I was on the phone almost immediately scheduling an appointment there.

Physical Therapy 4-week Evaluation

So today was a big day for us because it was Kellyn's 4-week evaluation at her outpatient physical therapy clinic.  Overall, it went pretty well.  Four weeks ago, Kellyn measured at about an eighteen degree tilt.  Today Kellyn was measuring at about a ten degree tilt.  So she is definitely tilting her head less.  The physical therapist also noticed improved strength in both her neck and trunk.  *Anna was also happy with how Kellyn's gross motor skills were progressing. She said that Kellyn has progressed faster than she expected in many areas.

Kellyn around the time of her four week physical therapy evaluation. 

Follow-up Helmet Appointment

About four weeks ago, we took Kellyn to get initially evaluated to see if she needed a cranial remolding orthosis. The cranial remolding orthosis is basically a helmet for children who have plagiocephaly. It helps to reshape the head into a more symmetrical shape. At that appointment, Kellyn's measurements fell within the normal range. However, she still had a flat spot on side of her head while the other side jutted out a bit more. The cranial remolding specialist did not recommend a helmet. She suggested lots of tummy time so that the head would likely fill in on its own.

This is the stockinette that goes over the head.

Rolling Belly-to-Back (towards right side)

Kellyn could easily roll from belly-to-back towards her left side.  This makes sense since her trunk favors the left side.  She had a much harder time putting weight and pressure on her right side of her trunk.  Therefore, her PT really encourage us to work with her on rolling this way.

1.  Place Kellyn on her tummy and put a toy on her left side of her body.

2.  If possible, encourage her to reach her left hand up and out towards the toy.  Her head should tilt back as she looks up at the toy.

Kellyn's got some serious bed-head going on in this picture.

Four Weeks into Physical Therapy

Here are some updated pictures of Kellyn after four weeks of physical therapy.  Her left trunk tilt is much less pronounced and her right head tilt has decreased some, as well.  Her physical therapist noticed that she tilts her head more when she is looking down.  Kellyn is more inclined to keep her head straight when she is looking straight ahead or laying down on her back.  What you won't be able to see in these pictures is how much stronger she is getting at doing her strengthening exercises.  She has also had amazing progress in her motor skill progression.  In addition, I believe her facial symmetry is improving.  I am very pleased with her progress so far.

She holds her head up much more straight when she is looking straight ahead.

Cranial Facial Appointment

Yesterday, my daughter had an appointment with a pediatric cranial facial specialist.  As I mentioned in a previous post, Kellyn has some of the classic facial asymmetries that torticollis can cause: one eye smaller, one cheek fuller, one jawline more pronounced, depression on one side of her neck, and a flat spot on the back of one side of her head.  In my opinion, they are very minor and barely noticeable unless you were looking for them.  But I wanted the doctor to take a look at her and see what he thought.

The cranial facial specialist was outstanding.  He carefully evaluated every facial feature while Kellyn made goo-goo eyes at him.  After his analysis, he confirmed that she did have some minor facial asymmetries and minor plagiocephaly that that were caused by the torticollis.  However, he said that everyone's face is asymmetrical and that her facial asymmetries were not outside the normal range.  He said that the only reason I probably noticed it is because I am her mother and that the average person wouldn't have even noticed.  Phew!  That felt great to hear, especially from a specialist who stares at faces all day long.  If anyone would be critical about that sort of thing, I am assuming it would be him. 

Kellyn's Progress in Physical Therapy

So Kellyn has been in physical therapy now for about three weeks.  Overall, I think she is making good progress.  I have noticed that her right head tilt is not as pronounced as it previously was.  Also when I tilt her to her right, she is now able to pick her head up much easier than she used to.  So her neck muscles have definitely strengthened.  Her trunk is much less inclined to tilt to the left now too.  I think the lessening of her trunk tilt is a more dramatic improvement compared to her the decrease in her head tilt.

TOT Collar Review

I am the type of person who wants to feel like I have exhausted EVERY avenue possible to fix a problem.  So when I heard about the TOT collar on a torticollis forum, I immediately started researching it.  Basically the TOT collar is a device to help correct torticollis.  It is is made out of soft tubing that goes around the child's neck.  The TOT collar has two vertical nylon tubes positioned on the torticollis side that discourage the child from tilting his head to that particular side.  Please note that it is very important to always be supervising your child when he/she is wearing the TOT collar.  It also should not be used while sleeping or riding in a car seat.  As far as the reviews I read about the TOT collar, they were mixed.  Some parents liked it and thought it helped, while others said it did not help as much.  But for the price, I thought it was worth it if there was a possibility of it helping our daughter.

In this picture, the TOT collar was working quite well for her.

First PT Appointment with Early Intervention

Today was Kellyn's first physical therapy appointment with our state's early intervention program.  Her assigned physical therapist came to our home to work with Kellyn.  I am so excited how quickly we were able to get started with this program.  After having such a great experience with Luke in this program, I feel very confident that we will have great success with Kellyn in it as well.

Ayelet © 123RF.com | yeletkeshet

Before Pictures

Here are some pictures of Kellyn before or at the beginning of physical therapy.  Her physical therapist suggested we take pictures of Kellyn regularly.  That way, I can track her progress since its hard to notice the changes since I'm with her all the time.  I'm trying to see if her neck and trunk straighten up and her slight facial asymmetries resulting from the torticollis resolve themselves over time.

 This is the back view of her head tilt at approximately 1 week into physical therapy.    

Ophthalmologist Appointment & Scoliosis Evaluation

Today is one of those appointment filled days for Kellyn. After this morning's evaluation with the early intervention program, we had an ophthalmologist and pediatrician appointment scheduled for the afternoon. As I had mentioned previously, children with torticollis occasionally have vision issues that cause them to tilt their head in a certain direction. Just to be on the safe side, we wanted to have her vision tested. At the ophthalmologist appointment, they discovered that she was about twice as farsighted as the average seven month old. The doctor shared that her vision both near and far was not great. Immediately, I started to freak out in my head. "Is she going blind?," I asked with with alarm written across my face. He shook his head no and said that she may need to wear glasses down the line. He did not recommend glasses at this time because he said babies' vision could naturally improve in time. Compared to my initial concern with her going blind, the prospect of her possibly having to wear glasses in the future seemed totally tolerable.

hermione13 © 123RF.com | hermione13

Early Intervention Program Evaluation

Today was Kellyn's evaluation with our state's early intervention program. It provides support services to families with children who have developmental delays and/or special needs. If a child qualifies, the child will be assigned a therapist to work with her at home. I am quite familiar with this program since my two and a half-year-old son Luke has been receiving services for an expressive language delay since he was about eighteen months old. We absolutely love this program.

Anyways, Kellyn received a full evaluation by a physical therapist, occupational therapist, and a developmental therapist. They would be testing her in various areas to see if she had any developmental delays and if her torticollis warranted any physical therapy services.

Evgenii Kosmissarov © 123RF.com | komissar007

Basic Neck Stretch for Right Torticollis

This stretch will help Kellyn tilt her head in the opposite direction that she's inclined to lean.  It also helps her stretch her tight right neck muscles.  This is one of her least favorite stretches. Please note that she has right torticollis.

1.  Take your left hand and hold down her right shoulder.

2.  Take your right hand and very gently bring her left ear towards her left shoulder.

Helmet Evaluation for Plagiocephaly

Today was the big day where we brought our daughter in to get her head evaluated and potentially fitted for a helmet. The official name is a cranial remolding orthosis, but helmet is a lot easier to write out. As I mentioned before, many children with torticollis also have a condition called plagiocephaly. Basically, its a flat spot on the back of their head and it may cause their head to have an asymmetrical shape. The helmet can correct the plagiocephaly by essentially remolding the head shape. Unfortunately, many insurances do not cover the helmet because its often deemed cosmetic. With a $2500 price tag, we were holding our breath to see whether or not they would recommend a helmet for her. The good news is that the evaluation appointment was free, so it wasn't like we had anything to lose by getting her evaluated.

Darren Brode © 123RF.com | photog2112

Football Carry Stretch for Right Torticollis

The football carry stretch exercise stretches the tight neck muscle on the right side of Kellyn's neck that contributes to her right torticollis.  In this post, I included both a YouTube video tutorial and written step-by-step instructions below.

Video Tutorial:

Torticollis Diagnosis

On Friday, Kellyn had her two big appointments with her pediatrician and her physical therapist.  Her pediatrician officially diagnosed her with torticollis.  Later that day, Kellyn had an initial evaluation with an outpatient physical therapist.  She confirmed the diagnosis, did some initial physical therapy exercises with Kellyn, and gave us a helpful flyer to take home that outlined her exercises with detailed descriptions and pictures.  I was so nervous about her initial physical therapy appointment that I brought along two sources of moral support: my husband and my mother :)  I felt less anxious with them by my side.

Feeling Scared

So it seemed like an eternity between the three days of waiting for her pediatrician and physical therapy appointment to get an official diagnosis of torticollis (which at this point, I was almost 100% that she had).  In the meantime, I started researching torticollis on the internet.  I learned about the condition of torticollis and various treatment options.  I scoured torticollis forums on BabyCenter to see what other parents' experiences were.

The one thing that stood out to me was that many babies were diagnosed with this as infants and had started physical therapy early on.  Now my daughter was almost seven months and that almost seemed late to be officially diagnosed and treated in the "torticollis world".  The more I learned about this condition, the more fear and guilt crept into my mommy conscience.  My poor daughter likely started showing signs of this condition around one or two months of age.   That means that I could have spent the last four or five months working with her to correct this problem.

Torticollis Suspected

So for the past few months, I've been noticing my daughter Kellyn has been tilting her head to her right side and tilting her trunk to the left side.  I also noticed that her left eye is open slightly more than her right side.  I mentioned her tilts and her eyes to her doctors when she was about six months old, but no one seemed to be too concerned.  I was given general advice of stretching her and encouraging her to look to her right side.  I was also told that if it doesn't correct itself over time, than she may need physical therapy in the future.