Joyaa Antares’ extensive research on babies with torticollis (“wry neck”) shows how osteopathy may help.

Many of you will know Dr Joyaa Antares, GC Osteopathy’s Principal Osteopath from 2001 to 2024.  Those of you who saw Dr Joyaa will also be aware that he was researching a common problem in babies called or torticollis or wry neck (it is known formally as Congenital Muscular Torticollis).  

Babies have torticollis from birth and it is usually diagnosed in the first few months of life. It may occur as a result of how baby is positioned or develops in the womb, and often shows as a preference to look in one direction whilst avoiding the opposite side. Importantly, it can affect feeding and swallowing, and is often associated with plagiocephaly or “flat head syndrome”. 

Image Source : https://www.cstcenter.com/blog/signs-of-infant-torticollis

Dr Antares’ research, which was published in February in BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders (Antares et al 2025) found that adding manual therapies like osteopathy to treatment may lead to faster improvements both in baby’s neck range of motion and head/neck posture.  What’s more, helping torticollis has a positive knock-on effect for reducing plagiocephaly in babies that have both conditions. 

The research has already been very widely read, having been accessed over 1200 times in the first few weeks alone! 

If you have a baby with torticollis, a preference to turn their head in one direction while resisting the other, or “flat head syndrome”, please bring them to our clinic for assessment, management and osteopathy treatment. 

Let Osteopathy work for your baby!