In the past week my 7 year old has started moving her neck in a strange back and forth or side to side motion. She looks like either a chicken pecking or a bobble head. she has been doing it more and more frequently and said her friends are asking her why she does it. She will do it when she is talking to you. She now gets upset when we point it out to her. I asked her why she does it and once she told me she doesn't know, it is just the way she is, and the other time she said it makes her feel good and doesn't know why people don't just leave it alone. I attributed it to a nervous habit like chewing nails or twirling hair but my husband is really freaked out and said he is afraid of her having Tourette's or some other problem and wants me to take her to the pediatrician. Has anyone else experienced something like this?
Does she have shortish hair? She might just like the way her hair feels on the back of her neck.
I'd give it a week or so, and if it doesn't go away on its own, call the doc, just in case.
It could be a temporary tic or nervous habit. It could be Tourette Syndrome if she just can't resist doing it. I knew a young guy who started shrugging his shoulders frequently – I think he was around 9 at the time – and was diagnosed with TS. It was an adventure for the family on many levels, but years later, they all feel they have become better people for what they have learned about differences, acceptance, and gratitude. I sure do wish you the best.
Sounds like a temporary tic.. kind of like blinking too much. If it lasts more than a couple of weeks (without you bringing it to her attention).. I'd throw it at the pediatrician for an answer. Ignore it for now, she obviously is getting attention for it, when the attention stops the tic might too.
I would have a chiropractor check her neck to see if it in out of alignment as a first step. If that does not resolve the problem I would take her to her ped and see about a referral to a neurologist. In the meantime, try hot packs and gentle massage. This is not something she can help, so be sure to be patient with your child and not make her self conscious.
Does she grind her teeth in her sleep? I do and sometimes when I am really stressed I will grind so hard I wake up with a stif neck and sore jaw. She may be trying to relieve that pressure.
It sounds to me like she has a tic. I would talk to your/her doctor about it. Typically with a tic people don't realize they're doing it and it's something they can grow out of or is reduced with age. I would just talk to her dr to be sure it's not something else too so that it can be addressed and she doesn't continue to feel picked on.
It's not Tourette's, unless she has a verbal component to it, too. Most likely it's just a tic. I would mention it to her pediatrician and get his/her advice.
Our son recently developed severe tics out of nowhere. His were head twitching, strange blinking, leg hitting and jumping. We had to use an anti-tic medication and change an existing medication he was taking to help make them go away. They were so strong they were affecting his ability to talk.
Definitely talk it over with a doctor for advice.
When I was 12 I discovered I could make myself burp. Life was difficult for our family at the time and "burping" became a nervous tic that I couldn't seem to stop doing. It was uncomfortable and so I did finally stop myself by telling myself to stop each time I started to do it. I had to pay attention to what I was doing which I didn't like but I must've decided I'd rather stop than ignore it. I came to this conclusion by myself. My family didn't notice I was doing it. I think this lasted for a 2-3 weeks.
I'd ignore it for a week or two and if she doesn't stop doing it, I would have her checked by her pediatrician or perhaps a chiropractor. Her neck may be uncomfortable and she's trying to find comfort. Or it may be TS or a nervous tic. Better to know than to continue to worry.
Is your child still doing the strange things with her neck and if so did you ever find out what it was from? My son is 9 and he is doing the same thing and when i ask him why he said the same thing your child said both times. I hope your still there cuz i would like to know if you found out why.
Thank you!
