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Dysfunctional shoulder: how to spot it?
Between 1 and 2 years, we notice that our little girl or our little boy no longer uses his left arm. The child grabs everything that is offered to him with his right hand. “You might think it’s because he’s right-handed, but before the age of 2, babies are ambidextrous,” explains Caroline Girard, an osteopath specializing in infants and pregnant women in Tours. They therefore use both hands indifferently. So if this is no longer the case, better to consult. After auscultation, the diagnosis of the dysfunctional shoulder, that is, it is not functioning properly may fall. By abuse of language, we speak of a “displaced shoulder”. Other criteria can alert us: the baby is grumpy, he has trouble falling asleep and often wakes up crying, his shoulder falls forward or is lower than the other. “When the baby rolls over at night on the displaced shoulder, it bothers him and he wakes up,” continues Caroline Girard.
Displaced shoulder: the child forgets to use his arm
Due to these rather general symptoms, a dysfunctional shoulder is difficult to diagnose. “We won’t see anything on a radio, the child is in pain, but he will adapt, especially between 1 and 2 years old. He will just forget to use his arm, ”explains the osteopath. What is this due to? It can follow a fall of the child. But the cause can also be traced back to birth if the delivery was difficult. For example, if the baby presents by the breech and needs to be turned over. “Often, we realize this at birth, but sometimes, as the baby does not use his shoulder right away, we do not see him until one year old,” notes Caroline Girard.
Osteopathy, a solution for the dysfunctional shoulder
This is where observation of the toddler plays a vital role. We look at baby, we watch it. “When we notice that the child has less strength in one arm, that his muscle is atrophied and that he lets go of objects more easily, it is a sign that does not deceive, so do not hesitate to come for a consultation in osteopathy ”, details the osteopath. By releasing the tensions thanks to micro-movements at the level of the shoulder, the scapula and even the elbow sometimes, the practitioner puts the shoulder back in its good physiology. In general, in one or two sessions, it is resolved and the child will not have any sequelae.