The Real Reason Stretching Isn’t Fixing Your Baby’s Torticollis

If your baby's head is stuck tilting to one side, you've probably been told it's just a tight muscle. "Stretch it out, do some tummy time, and wait it out," they say. But here's what most health professionals won't tell you: torticollis isn't just about tight muscles. It's about what happened to your baby's nervous system during birth.

You're Not Alone in This Journey

We see this pattern week after week. A mum comes in exhausted, holding a baby who cries during every nappy change. Struggles to feed on one side and can't seem to get comfortable no matter what position you try. At the 2-month checkup a head tilt was observed, and you were told to keep an eye on it and sent home with stretching exercises (that make your baby scream). And while you're waiting and stretching, your bubs is getting more and more unhappy. That subluxation in your baby's upper spine is affecting far more than just their neck. It's impacting their ability to eat, sleep and hit developmental milestones.

Understanding Stretching and Torticollis: It's More Than Meets the Eye

1. Torticollis Is a Neurological Problem, Not Just a Tight Muscle

When babies are diagnosed with torticollis, they're looking at the obvious sign: your baby's head tilts to one side with their chin pointing the other way. They see tight muscles and a limited range of motion. But what they're missing is what's happening underneath.

Torticollis happens because of subluxation. Subluxation has three parts:

• Misalignment within the neuro-spinal system

• Abnormal tension or fixation within these neuro-spinal segments and regions

• Neurological interference and imbalance. This is where the nervous system gets stuck sending stress signals instead of calm, coordinated ones

Think of it like a computer with too many tabs open. When your baby's nervous system is overwhelmed with stress signals from that subluxation, everything slows down or crashes. Their body can't coordinate properly, muscles stay tight, and they're stuck in fight-or-flight mode.

2. Birth Trauma Is the Most Common Cause

The amount of pulling, twisting, and pressure placed on a baby's head and neck during birth interventions is significant. Forceps delivery, vacuum extraction, and even C-sections can create subluxation in the upper cervical spine. Add that to difficult positioning in the womb, being stuck in the birth canal, or a long labor, and you've got what we call the 'Perfect Storm'. These layers of stress compound on each other, and the result is a nervous system that can't regulate properly.

3. Why Stretching Alone Doesn't Work

Physical therapy stretches work on the muscles, but they don't address the subluxation that creates the tension in the first place. It's like trying to push a car with the parking brake on. Many of our parents tell us the stretches make their baby cry and seem to make things worse. That's because when the nervous system is stuck in stress mode, any additional discomfort just adds to the tension. The body fights back instead of relaxing. When you release the subluxation first with gentle chiropractic neuro-tonal adjustments, the nervous system can finally calm down. Then the stretches and positioning exercises actually work because the parking brake is off.

4. The Hidden Consequences of Unresolved Torticollis

Here's what concerns us most: when torticollis isn't fully resolved at the neurological level, it doesn't just go away. That subluxation can contribute to a whole host of other childhood developmental concerns, illnesses, motor challenges, sensory processing issues, balance disturbances and the list goes on! The foundation wasn't stable, so development gets harder at every stage.

There's Hope: A Gentle, Effective Path Forward

If your baby has torticollis, you don't have to choose between painful stretches and just waiting it out. There's a gentle, effective approach that addresses the root cause. Advanced Neurological INSiGHT scans can pinpoint exactly where the subluxation is located and determine its severity. Then, with safe and gentle adjustments, the tension can be released and balance restored to your baby's nervous system. Parents often see symptomatic changes within just a few visits. Sometimes our little ones just get stuck in stress mode, and when we ease that nervous system tension, everything can shift.

Ready to Help Your Baby Thrive?

At House of Chiropractic, we believe your baby deserves to feel comfortable, develop on track, and thrive. And YOU deserve to feel empowered and supported on this journey. We want to help. Don't wait for torticollis to resolve on its own; give us a call today to schedule a consultation for your baby.  We want to help your baby get unstuck and start thriving.