Early-Life Trauma as a Trigger for Developmental Myofascial Dysfunction: A Case Report

Skeletal asymmetry is a major, unrecognized contributor to myofascial dysfunction and chronic pain in children and adolescents. myoActivation® is a novel medical intervention for the assessment of skeletal asymmetries and treatment of myofascial chronic pain. The therapeutic component of myoActivation involves a needling technique to release myofascial trigger points and scars. myoActivation restores normal mechanics, reduces pain, and improves balance. We report the case of an 18-month-old boy with a history of an asymmetrical gait and a diagnosis of mild developmental dysplasia of the hip, identified following a minor injury. He received trigger point injections to the muscles around his pelvis using myoActivation principles. An immediate improvement in symmetry was observed, resulting in improved gait, without a limp, and was also associated with a change in his hip X-rays. Based on these observations, myoActivation may be an effective assessment and therapeutic tool for other children with developmental myofascial dysfunction.