Video Review: Snuggin Go & Torticollis Support Kit

Below is a video product review of the Snuggin Go and the Torticollis Support Kit.  If you prefer a written review instead, check out this previous post reviewing these products.

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 :)

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.

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.

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.

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.

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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.

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.

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.

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.

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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

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