Physiotherapy blues: need tips to reduce distress of 6mo baby

[treehugga]

My baby has torticollis (can't turn her head left) and we have been advised to follow a strict regime of physiotherapy. The exercises involve turning her head towards the left and holding it there for 15-20 seconds (repeat 5 times), plus there's another one getting her right ear towards her right shoulder (repeat 5 times). It went OK the first few times, but now she screams and resists even before I start doing the exercises with her. I have to keep doing them until her range of movement improves, but I am starting to feel she really hates me for doing it, and it could cause a problem in our relationship. I know that sounds very weedy, but really it is horrible and I dread every session now (5 times a day). Has anyone got any tips on making the sessions less traumatic? I have bought some special toys to distract her with but the second she sees them she starts looking anxiously at me. I have been told by the physios that I am not hurting her, and I do believe them, but who wants their head being squashed by someone else? I think she has every right to protest! So, any tips to give me some backbone, or how to make this less stressful? Thanks!

It is really hard, my son has mild cerebral palsy (he is 13 months and started physio at 6months) and he has a similarly passionate response to the daily hamstring stretches i need to do with him. Nothing will make it ok as it is just bloody uncomfortable and she is clever and knows it is coming, my ds scoots backward of his mat when i sit down next to it with the look of 'o no you're not!' in his eyes.

Just talk talk talk and sing silly songs, explain why you do it and what you are doing. Keep your hands friendly, stroke and massage a bit first.

But also do them properly. You need to, it is for her own good. Try doing them after a bath and make sure always to put the most interesting toys etc on the side she is stiff.

I feel for you, it is tough, and I hope the results show soon.

good advice mm

put toys on the side she needs to turn to

have OH/nanna/another dc on that side also to distract, shake toys etc

very noisy video, TeleTubbies-type tv also on side you want to turn her to

and always finish what you started (to a reasonable degree) or she will soon learn that if she makes a fuss you will stop and it will be 10X harder next time

obviously you know when your child is genuinely distressed versus just objecting

do you have another appointment or can you ring the physios for further advice?

can Daddy do it sometimes so you are not always the "bad guy"?

My son had physio for 18 months between the ages of 2 years old and 3 and half years old because of orthopedic problems. The little horror used to try and bite me when I stretched his tendons.

One thing that I found helped was to do the exercises when my son was in a deep sleep. It is unbelievable how deep a sleep small children will go into.

I also think that with physio you sometimes have to be hard mummy and remember why you are doing it. You do have my sympathy, I hated having to do physio with my son.