Delay

Infants and young children may experience developmental delay due to a number of factors. After an initial evaluation and/or consultation, a custom plan of care will be established to assist your little one with progressing through any and all developmental gross motor milestones.

Torticollis & Plagiocephaly

Torticollis is a condition of the neck in which the child’s head tilts toward one shoulder and often the chin rotates toward the opposite shoulder.  It occurs when muscles in the child’s neck, most often the Sternocleidomastoid (SCM), is tight. This postural condition may impact postural alignment of the entire body and generally happens from the baby’s position in the womb before birth and/or in the early months (0-2 months) following birth. Whether just the neck or the entire body is affected, it can affect the way baby learns new motor skills. 

Physical therapy plays an important role in the treatment of torticollis, including stretching, strengthening, motor skill development, myofascial release, visual motor development, overall postural symmetry and most importantly caregiver education.  The sooner baby starts physical therapy, the greater opportunity for improvement.

The take away is simple… do not wait. While it is true that some cases self-resolve, many do not. The older the infant, the longer the position is allowed to become a position of comfort, the harder it is to treat and the more complications that can occur such as Playgiocephaly or “flat head syndrome”.

Gait Abnormalities

TOE WALKERS 101: Toe walking is when kiddos favor walking on the balls of their feet, without heel contact and it’s important to know that kiddos do NOT grow out of it without intervention. Initiating therapy right away (no more than 3 months of consistent toe walking) is key to success. Older kiddos (4+ y/o) or > 6 months of toe walking typically will require more intensive therapy and use of interventions like ankle orthotics to correct this atypical gait pattern.

NEGATIVE EFFECTS:

1. Back/knee and/or ankle pain

2. Withdrawal from physical activity (because it hurts)

3. Inability to perform skills like jumping, stairs, squatting

4. Abnormal muscle formation (large calves)

5. Heel cord tightness with loss of range of motion at ankles

6. Foot deformities

WHEN TO CONTACT: If you parent gut is telling you something isn’t right, it probably isn’t right…trust yourself. Also, if your kiddo has one or more of the following:

• Walking on his/her toes >80% of the day

• Your little one has been walking >3 months and still on toes

• Your kiddo is over 2 y/o

• You see loss of motion or even inability to walk of stand on heels.

Manual therapy and myofascial release (MFR) can be beneficial for promoting alignment, circulation, aiding digestion, reducing pain, and reducing muscular restrictions. Infant manual therapy may also promotes relaxation and often improves nursing and/or feeding. A therapist can provide infant manual therapy and also teach you the techniques of massage to assist with continued care beyond therapy sessions.

Many babies presenting with tongue and/or lip tie, will benefit from gentle myofascial release throughout the body in order to improve latch, postural control for feeding, and general motor control for eating/chewing efficiency.

You can have a positive impact on your baby’s motor skill development through purposeful play and positioning. Typical infant development occurs when babies are provided opportunities to learn new skills. These opportunities can be incorporated into the way you hold and carry, feed, and spend playtime with your baby. You are already doing these things, but could you tweak it just a smidge to give your baby even better opportunities to progress their motor skills? If your gut is saying yes, we are here to help!

We provide individual wellness sessions from birth to toddler age where we discuss age appropriate motor skills and strategies to help baby learn and develop new skills. A licensed practitioner will use expertise of typically developing infants and young children to guide you in optimal positioning for play and developmental progression.