Torticollis Intervention Torticollis is a condition which can be either temporary and of a minor inconvenience or it can be chronic and physically debilitating. The implications of the condition can run the gamut of severity and susceptibility to treatment. Torticollis, or a twisting of the neck, can be extremely common but its causes and impact exist across a wide range of variations. The discussion here will offer a concise overview of the condition with consideration of its various suspected causes, its most salient symptoms, strategies for its treatment and existing technologies or adaptive strategies aimed at helping individuals live with the condition.

Condition Background:

Torticollis is not an altogether uncommon presence at the time of birth. When the condition is present at the time of birth, it is referred to as congenital or inherited torticollis. According to the research provided by the Baby Center Medical Advisory Board (BMAB) (2012) "about 1 in 250 infants are born with torticollis. (Ten to 20% of babies with torticollis also have hip dysplasia, in which the hip joint is malformed."

When occurring at birth, there are a number of possible explanations for the displacement of twisting of the neck. In most cases, the twisting has been caused by the child's positioning in the womb. Here, the child's head may be tilted to one side through an extended duration during pregnancy, resulting in a tightness of the muscle that connects the collarbone and breastbone to the skull. This same effect may be rendered in the child during labor. In either case, this is considered a less severe variation of congenital torticollis.

By contrast, there is a variation...

According to the BCMAB, this variation is known as Klippel-Feil syndrome and can carry several potentially serious side effects. Among them, the child may suffer from hearing deficiencies or renal function abnormalities. As will be discussed in the section hereafter, it is critical to determine which of these forms is present before determining the course of research.
Before proceeding though, it is relevant to note that there is also a form of acquired (as opposed to congenital) torticollis that is common with infants but may also occur with adults. With adults, the source by Cunha (2009) indicates, the cause may be chronic bending or misalignment of the neck or it may be a traumatic injury with worsening long-term repercussions. According to Cunha, "When the disorder occurs in people with a family history, it is referred to as spasmodic torticollis. The characteristic twisting of the neck is initially spasmodic and begins between 31-50 years of age. If you leave the condition untreated, it likely will become permanent."

Support groups for those living with torticollis include the National Spasmodic Torticollis Association (NSTA), which offers support group contacts for individuals suffering with the condition and which works to promote awareness about the condition. The primary research objective supported by the NSTA calls for continued work to find a cure for the condition.

Intervention Research:

There is no way to predict that torticollis will occur in an unborn child. Though there are some recorded cases that this may be a genetically acquired condition, this…