Torticollis in newborns is a fairly common phenomenon. About 10-12% of babies suffer from it, and this usually disturbs parents greatly. However, this is the very case when timely treatment can completely correct the problem, and the absence of treatment can result in serious consequences. Torticollis does not go away by itself. The mainstay of treatment for this condition is massage. Is it possible to do it at home, what is the technique and method of exposure, we will tell in this article.
How does torticollis manifest?
Torticollis can have different causes, but its manifestations, as a rule, are very similar - the child's head tilts with a simultaneous opposite turn. A curved neck can be due to certain pathologies of the bones of the cervical spine, due to pathologies of the nerves in this section, and muscle torticollis is also widespread.
In infants, pathology can be congenital or acquired, for example, during a difficult birth. If you do nothing at all, hoping for self-medication, complications can be very serious: deformities of the facial bones, skull, spine, severe neurological abnormalities and a decrease in intellectual abilities, memory, deterioration of speech functions in the future, and respiratory disorders are possible.
Since the reasons may be different, you first need to identify the true one - the tactics of treating the child will depend on it. Therapy can be either surgical or conservative. They usually start with conservative treatment, which includes:
- massage;
- electrophoresis;
- UHF;
- special medical gymnastics.
If this treatment does not help within six months, a decision may be made to perform an operation.
In the overwhelming majority of infants, torticollis is associated with abnormalities in the development of the sternocleidomastoid muscle. It starts behind the ear and goes down to the collarbone.
A child with torticollis usually turns his head in only one direction - the opposite of the one in which there is a lesion. If you look at the back of the baby, one scapula from the side of the lesion will be higher than the other, and its pterygoid protrusion may also be noticeable.
When a baby with torticollis is asleep, he usually squeezes only one palm into a fist. If you touch a sore muscle, a spindle-shaped seal will be found on it. When trying to turn the baby's head to the other side, the baby resists.
The diagnosis is established on the basis of examination and the conclusion of radiography.
Do you need a massage?
Massage is necessary, but the decision to carry it out should be made by the doctor, not the mother on her own. The fact is that massage is needed not ordinary, general, but therapeutic, so you will definitely need the help of a professional massage therapist, a specialist in physiotherapy exercises for babies and a physiotherapist.
A massage for a child will not be 100% pleasant, parents should be prepared for the fact that massage will be associated with certain painful sensations. True, over time, the baby will get used to it, and the pain will decrease significantly. The objective of the massage course for this pathology is to normalize the tone of the muscles of the neck, occipital muscles and the muscular corset of the shoulder girdle. If we are talking about neurogenic torticollis, you cannot do without the help of a neurologist.
If the cause is vertebral pathology, consultation with a surgeon, vertebrologist is needed.
The massage improves blood circulation in the muscles of the neck, removes "clamps" and blocks that prevent the normal functioning of muscle tissue from the affected side. The masseur stretches the affected muscle and stimulates the nerve endings. Gradually, the range of motion and functionality expand, torticollis is corrected, muscles and vertebrae take their natural position.
Self-massage - is it possible?
A lot of massage courses will be required (treatment lasts from six months to a year). Each session is expensive. Not every Russian family can find the required amount. Theoretically, such a massage is almost impossible to do on your own: therapeutic massage should be performed only by a specialist who knows the anatomy and physiology of an infant perfectly.
However, in practice, massage is possible provided that the mother asks a good specialist to teach her the basic techniques, and for the first few sessions she will carry out the massage with her own hands under the supervision of a medical specialist. Do not think that massage therapists keep their secrets carefully. Many doctors are happy to show and tell the rules of such massage to parents.
Therefore, several sessions or even a whole course will still have to be paid in order to visit a professional as much as the mother needs to remember the sequence of actions and the rules of massaging. Inexperienced unauthorized actions can only harm the child.
If the initial training has been completed, the attending physician may well allow home massage for children, but mom needs to try very hard to earn his trust.
What do you need?
To perform the procedure at home, you will need to choose the right place for the massage. We exclude beds and other soft surfaces immediately. The child should lie so that his spinal column is in an even position, does not "fall through" or "sag". For babies, changing tables or regular dining tables are great. You can also massage on the dresser, if there is one in the house. Cover the surface with a diaper.
To make it easier for mom to slide her hands, you should use vegetable oil, slightly warmed up so as not to give the baby unpleasant sensations. If there is a hypoallergenic massage product, use it. You can also apply the traditional baby cream for such cases.
If the child is already 3 months old, buy a fitball - a large gymnastic ball, exercises on which allow you to achieve a noticeable relaxation of the muscles of the neck and collar zone.
Technique
To massage a baby correctly, you should adhere to a certain scheme. Some massage therapists begin the session from a supine position, but most often the first starting position is the lateral position.
- With the right-sided crotch, place the child on the left side, with the left-sided - on the right.
- Soften your hands with a slip aid and start stroking slowly and gradually at the affected neck. When the muscle becomes warm and the skin changes its color to a rich pink due to blood flow, proceed to rubbing. Do them without strong pressure, then the movements will not hurt the child.
- Turn the baby on the back. Take its head in your hands and slightly, very delicately turn it to the central position - facing you. If traffic is restricted, stop where there is a restriction. Lightly stroke the clavicular mastoid muscle with the back of your hand and again try to turn the head straighter a few millimeters. If the child begins to worry, stop the exercise, you can always return to it later, insert it into any sequence of techniques.
- Turn the child on its side to the affected side (with a right-sided crotch - to the right). Take the baby's head in your palms, hold it, feel that the baby has relaxed, and release your palms. The natural compensatory movement of the muscles will be directed towards the gradual establishment of the head in the correct position.
- Make turns from the back to the tummy. It is best to first make turns 10 times through the healthy side, and then the same amount through the sick side.
- Place the crumb on your stomach. Pat and rub the back, avoiding direct impact on the vertebrae. Gently stroke the muscles of the back of the neck, neck crease and shoulders. When the skin becomes pink and warm, turn the baby's head to the healthy side and massage the cheek, and then turn the head to the affected side, as far as the pathology allows, massage the second cheek. Repeat these turns 8-10 times.
- Turn the baby onto its back. Massage your arms and legs lightly, starting with your fingers upward, and finish with light rubbing on your chest and abdomen. Do this in a circular motion with your open palm.
- Additionally, you can place the child on the fitball, holding the legs so that the bottom of the crumbs is above the head. In this position, you need to lie down for about a minute on the back and the same amount on your tummy. This will effectively relax the muscles in the neck area.
After the massage, turn the baby's head to the most correct position (as far as the muscle restriction allows) and fix the Shants collar.
Useful Tips
Here are some helpful tips for mom to independent effective treatment of torticollis in a child:
- See your doctor every month to assess progress or lack thereof;
- a course of massage with such a pathology lasts from 14 to 20 sessions (one session a day), a mandatory break is required between courses - 1-1.5 months;
- do not forget to massage the healthy side of the neck. Muscles on both sides must receive sufficient physical activity;
- make sure that the child sleeps on different sides: on the right in one rest period, on the left in the next;
- the duration of one session is about 10 minutes, it is better to start with 2-3 minutes, gradually increasing the time;
- talk to the child, sing to him, read rhymes, turn on the music, do everything so that the baby does not perceive massage as an unpleasant and inevitable necessity, try to make him love these activities;
- if the muscle tension is very strong, start a massage in warm water. The water temperature is 37 degrees Celsius. In the water, the child relaxes faster, this also applies to the affected muscle. It will be easier for you to knead it, and it will give the child less discomfort;
- during the day, take the child correctly - wear it vertically so that the baby's shoulders are approximately at the same level with the mother's, put the head on your shoulder, best of all - on the side of the torticollis, in extreme cases, support it in the correct position with your own cheek;
- be sure to carry out therapeutic exercises every day, recommended by the doctor individually, depending on the cause and the specific type of torticollis. If massage is usually prescribed from the age of two months, then gymnastic exercises from the exercise therapy complex - from 3-4 months.
It will take patience from parents. There will be no quick results, especially in cases of congenital torticollis. But patient work, daily massage and gymnastics in most cases help to cope with pathology.
For information on how to massage with a crooked child, see the next video.
