Starfish Therapies

A pediatric therapy company operating in San Francisco and the greater Bay Area. We provide physical, occupational, speech and aquatic therapy services in the most beneficial and convenient setting for you and your child, including our clinic, currently located in Burlingame, your home, school or daycare.

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Torticollis: What Is It?

December 8, 2010 by Stacy Menz

I have recently had several friends or friends of friends ask about their child who doesn’t like to look in one direction and is developing a flat spot on the back or side of their head. This is generally a sign of torticollis. Torticollis is when your baby’s neck gets tight (similar to how you get tight hamstrings) and they prefer to look to one side more than the other. In addition they usually like to tilt their head to the opposite side of where they like to look. For instance if they prefer looking to the left they usually like to bend to the right. Generally the muscle that is tight is the sternocleidomastoid and can easily be stretched, especially if you catch it quickly and modify your and your baby’s habits to encourage movement in the opposite direction.

In the past torticollis was generally something a baby got as a result of how they were positioned in the womb. These days I am seeing older babies develop it and there could be a few reasons for that.

I think with the Back to Sleep program babies are spending more and more time on their backs and less time on their tummies.  The back of babies heads are still soft and malleable so if they have a preference for sleeping (i.e. tend to keep their head turned to one side) it can encourage a flatter spot on the back of their head as well as encourage them to keep their head turned only to that side.  On top of that babies are spending more time in car seats and carriers which continues to encourage pressure on the back of their head.  Making sure your child is getting enough Tummy Time can help with this.

Also,  as parents its easy to develop habits such as always carrying your child on the same side, or having a preferential feeding side.  This can all encourage turning their head more to one side.  I know it isn’t easy but break up your habits and carry your child on the opposite side or change where they normally sit when you interact with them.  Maybe even move their crib to the other wall or put them in the crib with their head facing the other way.

If you catch torticollis early and get a referral to a pediatric PT they can show you some simple exercises to do with your child as well as ways to alter your routine to encourage them to actively move their head in the other direction!

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Filed Under: Developmental Milestones Tagged With: back to sleep, education, exercise, gross motor development, kids, moms, Motor Smart Kids, physical therapy, posture, Starfish Therapies, stretching, torticollis, tummy time

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Our family moved to the bay area 6 years ago, and Starfish Therapies have been a part of our family ever since. Everyone at the clinic is caring and warm. The owner always looks for ways to improve the clinic and the services provided. The therapists are patient, enthusiastic, and know how to motivate the kids to do their best. Even after moving more than an hour away from the clinic, we kept going back to Starfish for intensive therapy sessions every summer! We cannot thank Starfish Therapies enough for helping my daughter to get stronger and to become more independent over the years!”

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