Kansas City Chiropractor and CranioSacral Therapy Specialist Helps Babies with Positional Plagiocephaly and Torticollis


Are you researching online, looking for help with Positional Plagiocephaly and Torticollis?  This article is for you! 


I have helped many babies with Positional Plagiocephaly and Torticollis and the family of Baby C was so excited with his improvement, that they wanted me to share all about his story.


Baby C first came to my office when he was 5 months old, after his mom did some online research and discovered that there was a Chiropractor that also offered CranioSacral Therapy just blocks from her Downtown Kansas City office.  She was planning on getting Baby C a helmet as well, and read that the combination of the helmet, Chiropractic, and CranioSacral Therapy gave babies the fastest and best results.


During Baby C's Consultation, I asked about his birth.  Mom said that he was a big baby and had a C section, a very traumatic C section.  Mom said she felt a lot of pulling as his head was "way up there", and as a result of the C section Mom had a lot of bruising on her left side.


Ever since he was born, Mom and other family members noticed that his head always rolls to the right, and he doesn't turn his head to the left.  Mom said she had even tried different pillows to see if that would help. 


When Baby C was 2 to 3 months old, Mom really started to notice that his head was flattening on one side and bulging to the other.


Baby C's pediatrician referred him to a specialist to receive physical therapy and possibly a helmet.  Then Mom did some research and called my office to see if I could help as well.


Here is what Baby C's head looked like before we started any treatment and before he received the helmet:

Carterbeforefromtop

Let me just say, when I saw mom wheel Baby C into my office in his stroller, right away I could tell he was one of the most severe cases of Positional Plagiocephaly and Torticollis I had ever seen.  I was so glad that this Mom had brought Baby C to my office. 


With any case of Positional Plagiocephaly or Torticollis I always ask about the birth.  Birth Trauma is one of the biggest reasons that babies develop Positional Plagiocephaly and/or Torticollis.  If you think about how much the Doctor pulls on the baby's head during a vaginal birth or C section, it is a lot!  If anyone pulled on your neck that hard, you would have a neck problem as well. 


Very frequently with Positional Plagiocephaly the baby also has Torticollis due to a spasm on the sternocleidomastoid muscle on one side of the neck.  Adults get Torticollis too, and many times it is due to trauma.  Whenever I find Positional Plagiocephaly or Torticollis, I always find misalignments or subluxations in the neck and upper back, especially between the shoulder blades.  These misalignments lock the joints in a position that prevents movement towards either the left or the right, and that is why babies will only move their head towards one side but not the other.  If they tried moving the neck to the other side, it hurts and is very stiff. 


This lack of movement to both sides results in a constant pressure on the back of the head in a particular spot, thus resulting the the flattening of the skull.  The opposite side of the skull tends to respond by bulging out on the other side. 


Chiropractors, and especially Chiropractors who are also trained in CranioSacral Therapy, are trained to detect where the spine and cranial bones are stuck.  They use gentle Chiropractic and CranioSacral Therapy techniques to improve range of motion in the spine, and the CranioSacral Rhythm of the skull and body.


By improving the motion in the spine and the cranial bones, the baby can now turn its head to each side, reducing the amount of pressure on the already flattened side, and gently encourage the bones of the skull into their proper configuration.


Here are pictures of Baby C before and after 5 weeks of Chiropractic & CranioSacral Therapy

Before:

CarterBeforetop2


After 5 weeks of Chiropractic & CranioSacral Therapy:

Carterafter5weeksfromtop


Baby C was also fitted for a helmet to help his cranial bones reshape as well.  Here is a picture of him in his helmet.

Carterwithhelmetlayingfaceup

After almost 6 months of the helmet, Chiropractic and CranioSacral Therapy Baby C is doing really well.  His head is almost perfect.  He still has some tilting of his head to one side, and we are still working on that.  In less severe cases, the head tilt usually resolves quickly, but Baby C had one of the worse cases of Torticollis and Positional Plagiocephaly that I had ever seen!

Picture of Baby C as he progressed through treatment:

Carterpost5weeks2


Here is a picture of Baby C with me at a recent visit:

.resized_500x836_IMAG2043.jpg


If you or someone you know has a baby that is suffering with Positional Plagiocephaly and/or Torticollis, please share this article!


Call me at 816-842-3603 to schedule an Initial Consultation and Exam to see if I can make a difference for your child.


Better Health is Only A Phone Call Away!


Dr. Kristine Baker

www.DrBakerCares.com

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