Torticollis
Brief description of the disease
The very name of the disease "torticollis" speaks about the nature of the pathology, which consists in the deformation of the neck and the establishment of an incorrect head position. In the structure of congenital defects of the musculoskeletal system, torticollis in newborns ranks third, second only to clubfoot and hip dislocations.
Causes of torticollis
The causes of congenital torticollis are: the presence of chronic diseases in the woman in labor and the specific position of the fetus during gestation. Acquired torticollis of a newborn child occurs after birth trauma, diseases of the peripheral nervous system, or burns.
The main provoking factor of pathology is childbirth, during which the muscles of the shoulder girdle, cervical vertebrae and neck are often damaged. As a result, the child's blood circulation in the brain is disturbed, muscle spasms and severe muscle pains appear. To adapt to such conditions, the baby's head takes a specific position with the subsequent curvature of the cervical spine. If you do not take care of adequate treatment in time, spastic torticollis in newborns leads to a redistribution of the load on the bone tissue, changes in the cervical vertebrae, and a decrease in the amortization function of the spine.
Consequences of torticollis
Since torticollis is associated with impaired circulation, children may develop asymmetry in the face and skull. In addition, under the influence of adverse changes, the child begins to suffer from neurocirculatory dystonia and vertebro-basilar disease. His eyesight also deteriorates. In advanced cases, torticollis in infants leads to hydrocephalus and early neurological pathologies.
All the necessary measures should be taken to treat the baby because over time he will begin to sit down and walk, and this will increase the load on the cervical vertebrae and aggravate the decrease in the shock-absorbing function of the spine. If untreated, torticollis provokes a change in the shape of the spine and the appearance of diseases such as kyphosis or scoliosis.
As for the optimal time for treatment, the best age for medical and rehabilitation procedures is considered to be a period of up to 6-7 months. This is due to the fact that during the first months of life, the cervical vertebrae are just beginning to form and therefore it is easy to influence them to achieve a positive result. Note also that it is advisable to get rid of torticollis before the maturation of the nervous system, the development of speech and vision, that is, again, up to 6 months of age.
Dear parents, we are saying all this in order for you to understand - you should not wait for a miracle and waste precious time. The torticollis of a newborn will never go away by itself, but the muscles can easily lose their elasticity, and then the only available method of treatment is their surgical dissection. It is not worth bringing to this, as anesthesia, postoperative scars and cosmetic defects will not bring any benefit to your child.
Torticollis - treatment of the disease
Healing and restorative procedures begin immediately after an accurate diagnosis has been made. As a rule, in the first days, a small patient is prescribed a course of physiotherapy - 20 sessions of electrophoresis with ronidase or lidase, and then two more courses every 1.5 months.
Corrective gymnastics is carried out simultaneously with physiotherapy. Its essence lies in the fact that the child changes his head position as often as possible. To do this, they spread it on the stomach, offer the baby rattles from different sides and change the position of the head in the bed. The main task is to activate the movements of the cervical spine so that the torticollis does not fix the muscles. For the same purpose, a tonic massage of the diseased half of the face is carried out, but remember that stretching of the diseased muscles should not be allowed due to the risk of scarring.
If a child is diagnosed with advanced torticollis, treatment is often based on surgical intervention. Operations are indicated from the age of 3 and, as a rule, take place without any particular complications.
In recent years, the latest modern methods of treating torticollis have been increasingly used in domestic clinics. These include, for example, kinesiology. It implies softer, sparing procedures than manual therapy, and therefore has become quite widespread. In addition to kinesiology, doctors use hirudotherapy and reflexology, which are perfectly tolerated even by the smallest children.
Despite the successes achieved in treating torticollis, we want to note once again that the only correct decision of parents will be to consult a doctor in a timely manner, because any unpleasant consequences are easier to prevent than to cure.
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The information is generalized and provided for informational purposes only. At the first sign of illness, see your doctor. Self-medication is hazardous to health!
