15 Nov Do you get told to look straight whenever you take a photo but you think that you ARE holding your head straight

Do you experience headaches and migraines as well as neck and shoulder pain
Did you know that having a slight head tilt as a baby can contribute to neck pain, headaches and migraines as an adult

Torticollis is a condition whereby babies are born with a tightness in the neck muscle called the sternocleidomastoid (SCM). It is usually noticed shortly after birth. A tight SCM muscle results in baby preferring to look to one side more than the other, or baby having a head tilt towards one side. Torticollis can vary in its severity depending on how tight the SCM is at birth, how quickly baby is growing and when baby is diagnosed to have Torticollis.

In Australia, the incidence of Torticollis is reported as 3–20 in every 1000 births. However, the true incidence of Torticollis is likely to be higher because many babies with mild Torticollis are not diagnosed and grow up to be adults who have a slight head tilt at rest.

Here at My Favourite Physio, our Expert Physiotherapists see many adults who come in complaining of neck pain, headaches and migraines. Most of these adults experience Cervicogenic Headaches and Migraines, which are headache and migraine symptoms that come from the dysfunction in their first 3 neck joints. Some of these adults would have a resting head tilt to one side and limited neck movement to one side. Their headaches and migraine symptoms are often also on one side of their head more than the other. Essentially, these adults have had a mild Torticollis as a baby but was not diagnosed or treated then. They have grown up with a tightness in their SCM which results in a constant tilt in their neck that contributes to a constant rotation in their first 3 neck joints leading to Cervicogenic Headaches and Migraines.

So if you notice that you tend to hold your head with a slight tilt, and you experience neck pain, headaches and migraines, reach out to My Favourite Physio on (02) 9790 4233 to find out how we can help you overcome your headaches and migraines today!