A 15-month-old girl presented with feeding difficulties from birth. A lot of choking and coughing resulted in getting an ounce or two of liquid in 45 minutes. She had a history of torticollis and plagiocephaly with a helmet. Mom had consulted a long list of doctors and therapists in vain.
There is a structural connection between infant torticollis and a distorted head (plagiocephaly). In torticollis, we see an infant who is predominantly looking to one side because a fascial strain is usually twisting the neck.
That same strain can continue into the cranium, distorting the cranial bones. The corollary is where fetal cranial compression and distortion can create fascial neck twisting and torticollis.
As the fascial twist is worked out of the neck in the corrective process, the cranial bones can revert to a more symmetrical alignment. Since I sometimes see a pelvic twist corkscrewing through the trunk into the neck and head, plagiocephaly may be rooted in the pelvis. This full-body fascial web connection is a hallmark of the Gillespie Approach.
If I had a choice between a slightly distorted cranium that is expanding and contracting at a 200-second brain cycle or a perfectly symmetrical cranium with a zero-second brain cycle, I would definitely choose the former. In my world, the brain has to breathe for the body to function optimally.
In this situation, the torticollis appears to be twisting her neck completely where her throat fascia is severely strained. Tight throat fascia from birth trauma can be the root of her swallowing difficulties.
As the strain slowly released from her neck and throat on the first visit, her zero-second brain cycle opened to 40 seconds. Setting the bar high, I am hoping for significant correction in future visits to allow for normal feeding.
This infant should have been seen at birth to prevent this nightmare. Gillespie Approach Training is a must for neonatal providers.
