Clinic Spotlight: OT/PT - Congenital Muscular Torticollis
In a recent publication*, physical therapists in the Division of Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy at Cincinnati Children’s described infants with congenital muscular torticollis (CMT) who change head presentation (i.e., head tilt, head rotation) over time. They found that 73% of these infants successfully meet physical therapy goals to resolve torticollis symptoms. This resolution rate is similar to infants who do not change head presentation, however, medical professionals should still consider other differential diagnoses, such as Benign Paroxysmal torticollis of infancy (BPTI), enlarged vestibular aqueduct (EVA), and Sandifer syndrome, that could result in a change in infant head presentation.
If you have questions about a patient of any age with CMT and/or plagiocephaly, email OTPT@cchmc.org or call the Physician Priority Link at 513-636-7997. Additional information on CMT can be found in the Torticollis/Plagiocephaly Clinical Practice Support Tool.
*Greve KR, Perry RA, Mischnick AK. Infants With Torticollis Who Changed Head Presentation During A Physical Therapy Episode. Pediatric Physical Therapy. 2022;34(2):185-191. https://doi.org/10.1097/PEP.0000000000000879