Congenital muscular torticollis

Congenital muscular torticollis is a painless condition usually presenting during infancy with a tight sternocleidomastoid muscle causing the child's head to be tilted to the tightened side. Limited neck motion and a palpable tumor within the muscle are often present. A regimen of stretching exercises is the most common form of treatment with positive outcomes for over 90% of the identified cases. Rarely children require surgical intervention to release the tightened muscle. Botox injections to relax the tight muscle is a new form of treatment being used by some practitioners. Torticollis also presents as a symptom for a variety of muscular, bony, and neurologic conditions, which are briefly reviewed in this article.