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Torticollis is the tilt/and or rotation of the head due to a shortening of one side of the Sternocleidomastoid muscle (SCM).

Congenital Muscular Torticollis (CMT) is the most common form of Torticollis. Since the 1992 “Back to Sleep” Campaign, the incidence of Congenital Muscular Torticollis (CMT) has been as high as 1/60 live births.

Torticollis FAQs

Torticollis can be present at birth or can appear up to three months later. It is caused by positioning in utero, difficulty during delivery, or increased time in containers.

Untreated Torticollis may lead to:

  • Difficulty with feeding
  • Positional plagiocephaly: an atypical flattening of an infant’s head that is caused by pressure on the bones of the skull before or after birth
  • Decreased head control
  • Delayed milestones such as sitting, crawling or walking
  • Asymmetrical performance of milestones such as rolling
  • Decreased tracking with eyes on the affected side
  • Difficulty with balance

Some key indicators or red-flags of Torticollis may include:

  • Does your infant prefer to look to one side?
  • If breastfeeding, does your infant seem to favor one side or one breast?
  • Do you notice your child’s head frequently tilted to one side when you look at them or in photos of them?
  • Do you notice a flat spot on your child’s head?

Early detection and early intervention is vital for effective torticollis treatment. A physical therapist will evaluate your child to assess their gross motor development, positioning, alignment, strength, and flexibility. The physical therapist will work with the family to develop and reach goals, implementing interventions that may include: muscle strengthening, correcting muscle imbalances and improving posture and alignment.

When dealing with CMN or positional acquired torticollis, resolution of symptoms is as high as 95% if physical therapy is initiated in the first 3 months of life, which is why early intervention is key. If untreated or treated after early infancy, CMT can lead to craniofacial deformities  and painful limited cervical motion, requiring more invasive interventions such as botulinum neurotoxin injections and surgery.

If physical therapy is started before 1 month of age, 98% of infants with CMT achieve normal cervical range of motion within 1.5 months. Waiting until after 1 month of age prolongs the physical therapy episode of care up to 6 months, and waiting until after 6 months to begin physical therapy may require 9 to 10 months of physical therapy intervention, with progressively fewer infants achieving normal range.

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Crystal Scheibe

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Great place, glad we found them. Been going to Medina over 2 months now and he loves Lauryn and Kyler. Wish they had more ABA therapy places available... live in Wooster and long drive everyday.

Karrie Swan LaRock

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My 11 year old son has dyslexia and has made noticeable gains in working At LLA THERAPY. Katie is strong in her approach toward him and also keeps him comfortable enough to perform well. We will continue visiting both the Fairlawn and Hudson offices and recommend them highly.

Ron Monroe

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My 9 year old just completed about 9 months of weekly speech sessions (due to his stuttering) with Matt Hagge at LLA and we are thrilled with the experience and results. What I thought might be a negative (what kid really wants to go to speech class?) was made very positive by Matt, and my son never hesitated or complained when we talked about class. He really enjoyed it and really took what Matt taught him to heart. His speech has been greatly improved and we definitely recommend LLA. Thank you so much!

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My son’s Occupational Therapist, Jess, is an amazing OT! She gives practical tips on working with my son at home and school!

Terri Apgar

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I cannot say enough good things about LLA Therapy. My daughter was a client of Teal Simmons’ for approximately 2 years and was just released from speech therapy! She was diagnosed with Apraxia in 2015 and worked with Teal twice a week. Through Teal’s application of PROMPT therapy, my daughter had age-appropriate speech after one year. All of the staff we interacted with at LLA were absolutely wonderful. They really care about what they do and making sure your child achieves their goals.

Kelli Geisler Davisson

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LLA Therapy has been an excellent experience for my son as well as my family! My son always asks, "When can I go see Ms. Jeannine again, is it Monday??" He has also made huge gains in only 5 months! I would highly recommend LLA and have already shared my experience with friends looking for services!

Victoria Hansford-Price

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We are so grateful for our Speech Therapist Ms.Teal. We have seen a great improvement with our sons confidence and communication abilities since we have started "Prompt" therapy. What we love the most about LLA and Ms. Teal is that Kohl feels comfortable and relaxed which has played a critical role in his progress. Thank you Ms. Teal for all you have done.

Laura Lee Hogsett

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They have helped in numerous ways. Speech, OT and behavioral. I've had numerous compliments on my son's progress thanks in very large part to LLA. I would recommend LLA before I recommend our local children's hospitals, though they are good, they don't have the staff that LLA does.

Amy Furukawa

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We had a great experience with Matt Hagge at LLA! Our Middle School age son was becoming very conscious of his voice, which is nasal due to a cleft palate. Matt helped him to better form his sounds and project his voice in a way that makes the unavoidable nasality less noticeable.Our son is more confident and outgoing & even took on a speaking role in the church play. Matt has the perfect personality to relate with our son, and we would recommend him to anyone needing speech therapy services!

Jessica Havalotti

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LLA Therapy has been an excellent experience for our daughter. I would highly recommend LLA. Miss Grace was so amazing and I can't believe how quickly our daughter showed improvement. Thank you!
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