Re: Stressed out and confused about the whole process

[Guest guest]

Cranial Tech therapists are qualified to evaluate for torticollis if a dr has written a RX for the evaluation. If they detect torticollis or any neck tightening they can then instruct you and show you how to do simple at home exercises with your child. They will follow-up at most visits by asking how stretching and range of motion are improving. They may ask you to demonstrate the stretches to check your form. However, it is not a true PT sessions which usually lasts 30-45 minutes and involves lots of stretching (passive and active). CT may advise you that your child will need separate PT or may suggest you try the at home for awhile and see how your child improves. We have a file in the files section with a lot of torticollis tips we have collected over the years.

http://f1.grp.fs.com/v1/UP8tRnIEGf5-iXTyJ5NlJy5Ny7-FEoCxgLKmeBSKLhOVxyITausnaZiQwJn3u7Q3MT16HoGxtBBGDYTP7WQ/Torticollis%20Help/Torticollis%20Stretching.doc

With my oldest we used at home PT for her DOC band treatment period. Her tort improved. During a growth spurt and teething episode near the end of treatment it came back with a vengance (torticollis can be very tricky and needs monitoring up until about 18 months of age no matter if it is improved there are different developmental triggers taht may bring it back). At graduation CT and I decided that getting na into PT would be helpful because that would provide the follow-up she needed and make sure we were keeping it under control. She was only in PT for about 5 months (1/week for 1 month, then 2/month, then 1 month - so not a lot of sessions).

Now my youngest, Kiersten, had terrible tort and they said she would need intensive PT before we even banded her. Her neck was too tight and would prevent any ear improvement. Some of the neck muscles tie up right into the ear area. Anyway we did 2 months of intense PT which included CST (cranial sacral 2/week). Her neck really relaxed and we actually got 1 mm improvement in the ears. On a side note, I was very skeptical of CST. It didn't make any sense to me how it could work - I sitll do not understand. However, out PT is a friend of mine and I trusted her. She told me how it helped her with some migraines after a car accident. You could tell Kiersten could feel something. It didn't hurt her and it fit in nicely with our whole treatment plan (PT, CST, at home repo and stretches, and DOC Band). I believe CST alone would not have gotten us the improvement we desired and eventually achieved.

LARALONG - Hang in there. You are doing the right thing. I know it is very frustrating. Drs can be a little bit annoying. Keep pushing politely for what is best for your child. Call the office and be a gentle nag. Explain how insurance requires this and isn't insurance a pain why would a dr put a child through this for the fun of it, etc... Try and be considerate and pushy at the same time. Then get hang up and come over here and blow off your steam and how frustrating the whole system is.

na was banded at 4 1/2 months and did wonderful. Kiersten was banded at 7 months and did wonderful.

Big hugs to you!

(stealth moderator - LOL)na DOC Grad X2 2/04Kiersten DOC Grad 4/06Yes 2 Doc babies - yikes. read all about their journies at http://www.thefilyaws.com/plagio/plagio.html--- In Plagiocephaly , "Sheila" <lotspeis@...> wrote:>> We switched to a DOCBand at 12 months and our location (Cranial > Therapies in Toluca Lake, CA, not Cranial Technologies) did do an > evaluation and gave us a handout sheet with stretches, but we also > got a referral to a separate PT through our pediatrician. I'm VERY > grateful for their evaluation since I'd been asking the doctors for > months if he should be doing PT since he couldn't turn left very > well. The PT confirmed the stretches the DOCband ortho had given us > were correct and gave us some other exercises to work on since he'd > started to compensate for the tort in other ways.> > Sheila, mom to , 19 months, DOCband> > > > > >> > > > My son is seven months this week. I've posted several times > and I > > > > just wanted to post again. It's a vent I guess. My son's > doctor > > > > had known since maybe 2 months that something was off with my > > > son's > > > > head. He noticed the tilt more than anything and mentioned it > to > > > > me. But he didn't do anything other than give me the > instructions > > > > to put his toys to the left and everything to the left, do > this > > > > muscle movement with his neck, and do tummy time. He continued > to > > > > say these things and said he would look for improvement at > every > > > > appointment. At every appointment he continued to see > > > improvement. > > > > Not that I didn't see a little improvement.> > > > > > > > By the time I got my son an appointment I was starting to feel > > > that > > > > he had improved. The doctor told me that once he sat up and > > > rolled > > > > over we would see improvement and we seemed to see a little. > But > > > he > > > > never measured my son or checked his ears to see if they were > > off. > > > > > > > > I made an appointment on my day off to see someone at Cranial > > > > Technologies. I was told that my son did need a DOC band and > that > > > > his measurements were a 14 and they should be a 2 if normal. > I'm > > > > not sure of all the details exactly. They showed me visually > that > > > > his ears are off. > > > > > > > > It's absolutely heartbreaking to me. I thought I was going to > go > > > in > > > > there and be told I was nuts for being there. That's the > > > impression > > > > my doctor was giving me. He said it was a southern thing and > as > > > > long as I gave him tummy time he would outgrow the problem. > > > > > > > > Now I'm struggling so hard to get his treatment started. We > are > > > > working with Cranial Technologies to do this. They said that > my > > > > son's insurance is out of network but will pay 70% after > > > > deductible. If I went to Hanger it would be covered 90% after > > > > deductible.> > > > > > > > I scheduled to see someone at Hanger but after reading on the > > > files > > > > here I feel confused. I am now hoping that I'm doing the right > > > > thing. I've cancelled with Hanger because I don't have all the > > > time > > > > in the world to be taking off to go to an appointment if I'm > > going > > > > to go with someone else. Hopefully I'm right in the idea that > > > > Cranial should have more experience since they deal with this > > > > problem and these problems only. But I can only stop and think > > > that > > > > I could be making a mistake.> > > > > > > > And then my doctor has written a prescription but not a letter > of > > > > medical necessity which MedCost requires. I've called and they > > > > refaxed over a letter which wasn't detailed enough. So Cranial > is > > > > trying again. But he will be seven months this week. That > means > > > it > > > > will take a week to two to get approval and then casting, then > > two > > > > weeks to get the darn helmet. It's so frustrating. I could go > > > > ahead and do the process without insurance approval. I'm so > > > > conflicted. > > > > > > > > And I'm scared that he will end up messed up because I missed > > > > something or didn't go fast enough. Did everyone feel this way > in > > > > the beginning? Does this feelling get better?> > > > > > > > I don't know if Cranial does physical therapy and if he needs > it. > > > I > > > > don't know much since Cranial is leading me here and his > doctor > > > > could care less. How could a doctor be so careless and > > > > thoughtless. I guess he really doesn't understand. It makes me > > > so > > > > upset, angry, and hurt.> > > > > > > > I mean what will happen if the ears don't become aligned. Will > he > > > > suffer? Will it ruin his chances at being a normal kid? You > > > can't > > > > tell it from looking but it could hurt him if he needs glasses > or > > > it > > > > could hurt his teeth. > > > > > > > > Anyway, thanks for being there and just letting me get this > out. > > > > I'm so stressed and I just don't know what to do.> > > >> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ---------------------------------> > > Ahhh...imagining that irresistible "new car" smell?> > > Check outnew cars at Autos.> > >> >>