Physical therapy for torticollis

As a new parent, physical therapy is probably not on your list of things to be worrying about for your child, especially for a newborn. However, there are some conditions, even in babies, that require the help of a pediatric physical therapist.  Torticollis is one such condition.

Infant Torticollis is when the neck muscles are tighter on one side than the other, which leaves your baby’s head at a tilt. Parents may notice their baby’s head starting to tit to one side, or that they prefer to look in one direction. Breastfed babies may even have a preferred side to feed. 

This is a fairly common condition, affecting 3 in every 100 babies. Most often torticollis is something the baby is born with and has to do with the baby’s position in utero.  In cases where the child develops torticollis after birth, it is normally due to some kind of trauma or infection. Luckily, this is easily treatable with special exercises and physical therapy.

A specially trained physical therapist will examine your baby and determine the best course of treatment based on their symptoms and needs. Therapy will mostly consist of:

 Gentle stretching of the neck and back muscles

• Massage of the affected area
• Strengthening of the neck and back muscles 
• A home-exercise program to continue treatment at home

Your therapist will closely monitor your child’s progress, they will make sure their range-of-motion is improving and make any recommendations as needed. 

At Reddy Care Physical and Occupational Therapy, we can get you set up with the right therapist for you. Call today to schedule a consultation!

Great Neck: 475 Northern Blvd., Ste.11, Great Neck, NY 11021  Tel. (516) 829.0030

Farmingdale: 309 North West Dr., Farmingdale, NY 11735   Tel. (516) 420.2900

Woodbury: 150 Woodbury Rd., Woodbury, NY 11797   Tel. (516) 367.1111

Deer Park: 2024 Deer Park Ave., Deer Park, NY 11729   Tel. (631) 243.0247

North Shore Towers: 272-78 Grand Central Pkwy., Floral Park, NY 11005  Tel. (516) 344.0030

Bayside - Aquatic Therapy: 208-32 Cross Island Pkwy., Bayside, NY11360  Tel. (718) 224.8480

Oceanside: 2421 S Long Beach Rd., Oceanside, NY 11572  Tel. (516) 992.2282

New York City: 250 West 93rd Street, New York, NY 10025 Tel. (212) 580.0125

Bay Shore: 1470 Sunrise Highway Bay Shore NY, 11706 Tel:(631)-446.1480

Amityville: 565 Albany Ave Amityville NY, 11701 Tel:(631)-532.0906

 In-Home Physical & Occupational Therapy (Home Care): Tel: (516) 829.0030 

*Home therapy servicing Long Island, Queens, Staten Island, Brooklyn, the Bronx & Manhattan*

Sources: Resource 1 Resource 2

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Written by:

Dr. Vinod Somareddy, PT, DPT

President

Reddy Care Physical Therapy

Reddy Care Occupational Therapy

Reddy Care Aquatic Therapy

Author

Reddy Care Physical & Occupational Therapy Reddy Care Physical & Occupational Therapy is an outstanding specialty service providing exceptional care and state-of-the-art treatments for the residents of Farmingdale and Great Neck, New York. The combination of innovative exercise programs, manual therapy, and technology together with the expertise of every member of the team enables Reddy Care Physical & Occupational Therapy to provide services that ensure superior clinical outcomes and consistently high patient satisfaction.