For the health of it: Plagiocephaly and torticollis integrative rehab

Tyler Ryan, ABC Columbia April 6, 2021

LEXINGTON SC (WOLO) – Plagiocephaly (flat head) Syndrome can be on one side of the head or on the back or front of the head, as well as the front of the head of a newborn baby. According to Vital Energy’s Hima Dalal, a few causes of deformational Plagiocephaly can be the baby laying on one side of the head in the mother’s womb, difficulty in the birthing canal, or the mother keeping the baby in one position on their back for too long.

Other things that can complicate the condition are muscular torticollis or tongue tie or lip tie. Muscular torticollis can be congenital or positional where one side of the neck muscles are tight and the baby can’t turn to both sides. Tongue tie is a condition where a short, tight band of tissue tethers the tongue’s tip to the floor of the mouth. A lip tie is an unusually tight labial frenulum which keeps the upper lip tethered to the gum line. It usually affects the baby’s ability to suck while breastfeeding, speech and eating in early years.

Occupational Therapists are trained to treat infants with these challenging conditions and help them with restoring full neck movement and with shaping of the head to avoid cognitive, neurological and developmental delays in children. Therapists also help them avoid TMJ, migraine headaches, asymmetry of head or facial bones (esthetic challenges), sensory processing disorder issues and emotional regulation issues to name a few. Crystal Myofascial Release treatment invented by Hima Dalal has helped many infants also. Craniosacral Therapy and Myofascial Release treatment, proper positioning, and in some severe cases a helmet may be helpful in addition to the treatment provided by an Occupational Therapist.

Source ABC Columbia