Symptoms of torticollis in newborns: causes, treatment. Massage with curvature

The birth of a baby is a big holiday, an important event for newly-made parents, they still do not know all the charms of motherhood and paternity. But, despite this, they are waiting for a lot of everything new, previously unknown. Often young couples meet with the concept of "torticollis", what is it and how to treat it?

Now they prescribe a massage with krivoshe, there is nothing terrible in this, because the child is not yet fully formed, now there is time to fix everything, the main thing is not to run.

Torticollis

What is it all the same? This is a change in the musculoskeletal system in the neck. The signs of torticollis in newborns are clearly expressed:

• The head is inclined to the side;
• Turned to the side.

But it is not necessary to panic, signs of torticollis in newborns are found in ninety percent of cases. Now the crumb needs your help. Consult a specialist, he will prescribe a massage with curvature.

As a result of deformation of the neck during the growth of the baby, a wrong posture is formed. This is a very common disease that occurs quite often in girls, less often in boys. Krivosheya in a child (2 months is the age when this problem is most often found) is most often muscular.

Kinds

There are two large groups of torticollis:

• Acquired;
• Congenital.

It is not difficult to guess that in the second case a child is born with this defect, and in the first it acquires it as a result of vital activity. Massage with curvature will not cause your baby discomfort, do not be afraid to go to the hospital.

Why does torticollis appear?

The cause may be the intrauterine underdevelopment of the sternocleidomastoid muscle, which participates in such processes as nodding, turning, tilting the head. If the torticollis is congenital, an underdeveloped, shortened neck is formed.

In utero, the torticollis can also develop in the result of an incorrect and prolonged setting of the head, when the muscle is not loaded enough.

More torticollis can be the result of labor if:

• Crude manipulation was used;
• There was a pelvic presentation;
• Wrong tipping head;
• Birth injuries of muscles (tearing, rupture, hemorrhage, ischemia), as a result of which the inflammatory process develops.

The acquired torticollis can arise as a result of constant lying on one side or because of an inconvenient crib. In all of the above cases, massage is prescribed for curvature. Do not do it yourself, the massage of a newborn baby is very different from this procedure for an adult.

Contact any hospital, now massage is done even at home, if there is no possibility to visit the medical institution on your own. Nevertheless, how to do massage with curvature, we will describe in this article, only for general examination.

What will inaction result in?

Massage with curvature is necessary, otherwise there may be deplorable consequences. Which ones, we will analyze in this section. First you need to know that the symptoms do not appear immediately, but after two to three weeks, they can be detected by an experienced orthopedist.

If at the age of two or three weeks on the neck there is thickening and a pronounced muscular tightening (on the one hand) - this indicates a problem. If you do not engage in treatment, then the torticollis will increase. How does the child behave when probed? He can be capricious, frown, cry. If the head is trying to turn to the other side, it becomes clear that this is impossible, the baby experiences pain and discomfort.

If you do not massage, the newborn baby will suffer pain in the neck, the head will be fixed in the wrong position, the muscle will be shortened and compacted. In the end, all this will result in the muscle atrophying. The skull will be formed incorrectly, there will be a pronounced asymmetry. If the lesion is heavy, then perhaps an upbeat shoulder from the side of the injured muscle. The pronounced deformations of the facial and brain sections of the skull.

What you need to do

First, contact an experienced technician. Diagnosis of this disease is carried out by probing the muscles, comparing the patient and healthy. The next stage is X-ray or MRI of the cervical department. Next, a massage and a special collar for the baby are prescribed to properly position the head and prevent the development of scoliosis.

Treatment

Let's note, why it is necessary to correct a torticle at an early age. The child's body is not formed, very malleable. In this case, the muscle can be pulled out without surgery. Conservative methods will not work if the case is difficult or neglected.

What does conservative treatment mean? Extension of the muscle due to special piling on the side, massage for better circulation and removal of inflammation, use of the collar of Shantz, electrophoresis, warmers, sleep of the child in a special position (with a roller under the back).

Operative intervention

On average, conservative treatment takes five to six months. During this time, the damaged muscle is completely stretched and does not differ from the healthy one. Operative intervention is possible if the child is two years old and the torticollis is very badly started.

During the operation, the muscle is artificially grown. It takes no more than two months to recover. At this time the child needs to do special gymnastics, massage for stretching the muscles.

Forecasts

With modern treatment, torticollis can be quickly and safely cured, it will disappear without a trace. If the child is not engaged, then without treatment there will be deformations of the skull, shortening of the muscle, violation of the supporting function of the spine, resulting in disability.

Children's massage with curvature

We remind you that you need to do a massage for a specialist. This section is purely indicative. If you want to massage yourself at home, then definitely go through special courses, training. Incorrect movements during massage can lead to even more severe distortion.

The specialist is difficult to find, but still possible. We pass directly to the technique of massage. Movements should be carried out gently, smoothly, without sharp jerks.

Put the child on the back and fix the head, pulling it slightly toward yourself. Next, you need to smoothly turn the head from side to side. Pull up the chin. Carefully follow the reaction of the child. Massage should not cause pain. Distract him with different toys, sound and light effects.

The next exercise: put the baby on the barrel, on which the injured muscle, fix the head, then abruptly remove your hand. With this exercise muscles are strengthened on the other side of the cervix, which will help overcome the torticollis. Repetition should be done no more than twenty.

Efficiency

Massage promotes better blood circulation, strengthening the tone from the undamaged side. Do it two or three times a day, and the course of treatment is thirty to forty procedures.

However, daily and prolonged massaging can cause bad mood of the child. The doctors say that the child becomes nervous and irritable. That is why torticollis in newborns is treated not only with massage, but creates a whole complex that includes alternating:

• massage;
• Exercise therapy;
• Electrophoresis;
• Compresses and so on.

Also for treatment there are specially developed magnetic correctors of posture, they are used by German and Israeli orthopedists.

Features of massage for newborns :

• The affected side is massaged and heated;
• Then a slight vibration is applied;
• Massage of the opposite side;
• Stroking, pressing, kneading.

Massage of newborns ends with strokes of hands, legs, abdomen, this procedure is liked by all babies. That the child is not overtired, the duration of the session should not exceed fifteen minutes.

Choose only a highly qualified specialist, not to aggravate the situation. In conclusion, I would like to add that any treatment should cause the crumbs only positive emotions and good memories.