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. 

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 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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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.