Most flat head concerns in infants are positional plagiocephaly — flattening caused by external pressure on the skull from sustained positioning. This is the type that chiropractic evaluation and care at Beacon Clinic of Chiropractic addresses. A less common condition, craniosynostosis, involves premature fusion of one or more of the skull's bony plates, which causes a different pattern of skull shape change and requires medical rather than chiropractic intervention. The two conditions can look superficially similar to a parent, but a trained evaluator can distinguish between them based on the pattern of the shape change and other clinical signs.
Dr. Bronstein is trained to identify when a skull shape concern falls outside the scope of chiropractic care and warrants referral to a pediatrician or pediatric neurosurgeon. San Luis Obispo families who come to Beacon Clinic of Chiropractic in Grover Beach with a flat head concern can expect an honest assessment of whether the presentation is consistent with positional plagiocephaly or whether the pattern raises questions that require a medical evaluation. Chiropractic care is not appropriate for craniosynostosis, and Dr. Bronstein will say so directly if the evaluation raises that concern rather than proceeding with care that is not indicated.
