PM&R
Volume 1, Issue 8 , Pages 736-739, August 2009

Therapeutic Effect of Microcurrent Therapy in Infants With Congenital Muscular Torticollis

  • Min Young Kim, MD, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, CHA University College of Medicine, Bundang CHA Hospital, Kyonggi-do, Korea†
    • ,
  • Dong Rak Kwon, MD, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, CHA University College of Medicine, Bundang CHA Hospital, 351 Yatap-dong, Bundang-gu, Sungnam-si, Kyonggi-do, 463-712, Korea‡
    • Corresponding Author InformationAddress correspondence to D.R.K.
    • ,
  • Hak Il Lee, MD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, CHA University College of Medicine, Bundang CHA Hospital, Kyonggi-do, Korea§

Received 20 January 2009; accepted 11 June 2009.

Objective

The aim of this study was to determine whether microcurrent therapy is therapeutically effective in infants with torticollis.

Design

Prospective, unblinded, controlled trial.

Setting

Bundang CHA Hospital.

Subjects

Fifteen infants were included in this study who received torticollis treatment from April to July 2008. The control group (CG) included 8 infants (3 male, 5 female) with a mean age of 7.1 months. The experimental group (EG) included 7 infants (6 male, one female) with a mean age of 10 months.

Methods

The CG underwent stretching exercises for 30 minutes after ultrasound therapy and the EG underwent stretching exercises for 2 minutes after microcurrent therapy for 30 minutes. Each group received 3 treatments per week for 2 consecutive weeks.

Main Outcome Measures

Measurements included head tilting angle at supine (TA) and neck rotation range of motion to the affected side (RR) at the first day and the 14th day of treatment. The incidence of crying during therapy also was recorded. The results were assessed by Mann-Whitney U and the Fisher exact tests.

Results

In the CG, 4 infants showed TA improvement, one infant showed RR improvement, and 8 infants cried during therapy. In the EG, 6 infants showed TA improvement, 5 infants showed RR improvement, and 3 infants cried during therapy. In the CG, mean TA was 16.3 ± 9.2° at the first day and 13.9 ± 8.2° at the 14th day of treatment. In the EG, mean TA was 15.7 ± 8.2° at the first day and 6.7 ± 4.3° at the 14th day of treatment. TA improvement was greater in the EG (P < .01) as compared with the CG. In the CG, mean RR was 65.0 ± 24.6° at the first day and 66.3 ± 25.7° at the 14th day of treatment. In the EG, mean RR was 70.0 ± 11.5° at the first day and 80.7 ± 6.7° at the 14th day of treatment. RR showed greater improvement in the EG (P < .05). The incidence of crying during therapy was significantly lower in the EG (P < .05).

Conclusion

Microcurrent therapy in infants with torticollis appears more effective in improving TA and RR and shows better therapeutic compliance than traditional therapy.

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  • † Disclosure: nothing to disclose
  • ‡ Disclosure: nothing to disclose
  • § Disclosure: nothing to disclose

 Disclosure Key can be found on the Table of Contents and at www.pmrjournal.org

PII: S1934-1482(09)00617-0

doi:10.1016/j.pmrj.2009.06.008

PM&R
Volume 1, Issue 8 , Pages 736-739, August 2009

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