What is congenital muscular torticollis?
Congenital muscular torticollis (CMT) is a shortened neck muscle that causes the neck to twist. Congenital means that the condition is present at birth. Torticollis means “twisted neck.” Most frequently CMT involves the muscle that goes diagonally across the neck from the collarbone (clavicle) to the head just behind the ear. This muscle is called the sternocleidomastoid muscle. CMT causes the back of the head to turn toward and the face to turn away from the affected side. Your child will not want to move his or her face towards the affected side because of pain.
