The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of affected-side righting reaction training on body symmetry and gross motor development in infants with congenital muscular torticollis (CMT). A total of 28 infants diagnosed with CMT parti...
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of affected-side righting reaction training on body symmetry and gross motor development in infants with congenital muscular torticollis (CMT). A total of 28 infants diagnosed with CMT participated in this study and were assigned to two groups: the Affected-side Training Group (ATG), in which righting reactions were more frequently induced on the affected side than on the non-affected side, and the Bilateral Training Group (BTG), in which righting reaction training was applied equally to both sides. The intervention was conducted over a period of 5 weeks. Muscle characteristics were assessed using ultrasonography, cervical range of motion was measured using a goniometer, muscle function was evaluated using the Muscle Function Scale (MFS), and gross motor development was assessed using the Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS). Pre- and post-intervention assessments were performed. Statistical analysis was conducted using an independent samples t-test to compare baseline differences between the groups. A paired t-test was used to assess pre- and post-intervention changes within each group, and an independent t-test was used to compare changes between the groups. The results showed that both groups demonstrated improvements following the intervention. The Affected-side Training Group (ATG) showed significantly greater improvements in head tilt angle and Muscle Function Scale (MFS) scores on the unaffected side compared to the Bilateral Training Group (BTG) (p 〈 0.05). No significant between-group differences were found in other variables. In conclusion, increasing righting reaction stimulation on the affected side is more effective than providing equal stimulation to both sides for improving head alignment and muscle function in infants with CMT. These findings suggest that affected-side righting reaction training may be more effective in clinical practice.