Hello! My son was diagnosed with torticollis at 2 months and was in PT for quite awhile. He was done for the summer, but recently started crawling (at about 10.5 months) and now has a funky crawling style. His PT thought it was due to his head tilt and gave us some exercises to try with him. One of them was to play on his knees (in a crawling position) to get him used to that. He doesn't want to do that and I am wondering if it's hard to do. His right leg goes straight back (like it should) but his left leg seems to only turn out to the left. Anyone had experience like this? I am worried. I have a call in to his ped to see if he thinks it has something to do with his hips. Ideas??
Hi S.,
It sounds to me like you are thinking correctly....I think he needs more help. I agree with the Pediatric PT that responded. I also think chiropractic could be beneficial. I am a Pediatric Chiropractor in Franklin, WI. Please feel free to send me a personal message to discuss more if you would like. Good luck, L.
My oldest son had torticollis and we did alot of home PT to get it corrected. He started out sitting funny, then crawling funny, and then pulling up funny. He started crawling at 7 months, and he would drag the entire left side of his body, the same side his torticollis affected his neck. We talked to the ped about it, and he reassured us that all babies crawled weird at first. He was right. In a few months he started crawling normally.
Now my youngest never had torticollis, and he started crawling at 7.5mos, and he crawled with one leg pushing and one leg up on his knee. Goofiest looking thing, but he did that for a good month before he started crawling normally.
I wouldn't worry too much, however the suggestion of taking him to a chiropractor is a good one.
It sounds like something may still be off a little with his muscles/spine. Not a scary thing but something you might want to get checked out. I would recommend a pediatric chiropractor who uses low-force, very gentle techniques and instructs you on home 'exercises'. Good luck and good job trying to stay ahead of the game.
I do not have any advice on this particular disorder, but is your son seeing a specialist or just a regular pediatrician? The developmental years are so critical, I would seek a specialist (if you haven't already). Good luck to you. I'll say a prayer for you right now!
Well, babies do have ALL kinds of crazy crawl styles besides the "normal" ones we think of. But with his history it's worth looking into more. I would follow up with the Pediatrician, his PT, and perhaps look for another opinion from another PT. Hope everything is OK!
I took my son to Caron Chiropractic in St. Paul and his torticollis was cured after about 6 visits.
Have you tried taking your son to a chiropractor? There are some that specialize in pediatrics. I know two of them in the area. If you're interested I can give you their names.
Have you seen a chiropractor? My daughter had it at 2 months but after seeing a chiropractor for a month or two, has had no problems since. She is now 5 yrs. Make sure you find a good chiropractor that works with kids and takes time to really listen to you and examine the problem, too many chiropractors out there run "assembly line" practices and just get you in and out as fast as they can.
My daughter was diagnosed with torticollis at 4 months. It affected her sitting, crawling, and her cruising. She saw a physical therapist almost every week until she started walking. I would suggest going to the physical therapist until he starts walking. My daughter's physical therapist wanted to make sure she walked correctly (with her whole body in a straight line). This way you can make sure his body is inline. Torticollis can be frustrating, but it can be frustrating. My daughter is now 3 and you can't tell she ever had torticollis. Good luck!
I am also a pediatric PT and love what I do, so I hope my response isn't too intense. If your son was born full-term, that makes him 11 months, correct? In that case, playing on hands and knees should not be too hard. There are a variety of crawling (on the belly) patterns, none of which is really better or worse than the other. Once on hands and knees, usually the legs are pretty symmetrical and move in that alternating pattern (right arm with left leg, left arm with right leg, etc). So, I have a couple questions: 1) Will he take weight on his legs (with you supporting him) with his feet flat on the floor and without completely stiffening or "locking" his knees (in other words he should have the knees bent a little but be able to bounce if he's excited) 2) When he is on hands and knees and lifts his head and/or one arm up, will he keep his knees tucked/bent underneath him? 3)when he sits, is it usually "ring sitting/pretzel style" (this is preferred) or does he "W-sit", which is not the end of the world but is less than desirable 4)Do any of his hip/knee/ankle joints or muscles feel stiff or tight to you or his PT? If you have time to answer those questions, I can possibly give you more insight (and hopefully reassurance!). Feel free to send me a private response and I'll see what I can help you with! =)
Find an UPPER CERVICAL CHIROPRACTOR in your area. If you need assistance finding one, let me know. C.
Hi S.
My daughter had torticollis when she was 2 months old She did PT until 18 months. It pulled her spine and pelvis out of alinement so they did cranel sacral work on her to get things back where they should be. I think this may be what is going on with your son. I would talk to his theripest and see what she thinks. Good Luck T.
