Abstract
Secondary myogenic torticollis, or wryneck, results from difficulties during delivery, and is quite common in the neonate in the P.R,O.C. It is easily seen after birth, and can quickly develop into a painful chronic condition involving involuntary spasmodic contractions of the affected sternocleidomastoid muscle, accompanied mostly by swelling or occasionally by contracture. Conventional nonsurgical methods do not often prove effective, A study is presented with 154 infants suffering from secondary myogenic torticollis, ages ranging from less than 1 day to 6 years. One hundred and twenty-nine had received previous alternative treatment with no success, The infants in the group were treated with LLLT using a combination CO2/HeNe laser (maximum incident power densities of 1,8 W/cm2 and 3 mW/cm2, respectively). LLLT was applied using the scanning, noncontact method along the affected muscle and surrounding tissue. for 10-15 min per session, with 10 daily sessions per course, followed by a 10-day resting period between courses. During the resting period, physical therapy was carried out at home by the parents, with heat treatment followed by gentle massage, and a regimen of stretching and torsion exercises. LLLT achieved a complete cure rate of 58.5% and an overall effective rate of 85%, the shortest treatment period being one course (23 infants) and 16 infants requiring the longest treatment period of six courses (16 weeks). The earlier the LLLT was administered, the higher the effective rate (95% under 1 month, 71% over 1 year-old). It is proposed that CO2/HeNe LLLT for this condition offers a noninvasive and highly effective therapeutic alternative to conventional medical and surgical treatment methodologies for this painful and disfiguring complaint, especially in the very young patient.
