Question
My child has torticollis, which is congenital. What are the treatment methods for congenital torticollis?
Answer
If congenital torticollis in infants is detected early and treated appropriately, most affected children can recover within a year. Pay attention to posture correction. For children with torticollis, proper posture correction should be adopted. During breastfeeding, the child should be lying on their side. When sleeping, the position of the bed should be adjusted so that sunlight or light shines on the patient. Toys that make sounds and lights, as well as television, tape recorders, and other sound sources should also come from the affected side. A pillow can also be used to alleviate the patient’s discomfort. When the mother holds the child in a sitting position, the affected side should be up, and the neck muscles should be trained by lifting the head. Massage therapy can allow the child to lie on their back. The operator holds up the child’s head with one hand and massages the muscle spasms with the other hand for 10-15 minutes each time, then lifts up the affected sternocleidomastoid muscle 10-20 times.