Torticollis literally means "twisted neck".  The name is derived from the Latin terms torta meaning twisted and collum meaning neck.  It is also called ‘wry neck’.

In congenital muscular torticollis (CMT) Sternocleidomastoid muscle (SCM) on one side of the neck is tight. The SCM controls both tilt (the movement of the taking the ear to the shoulder) and rotation (the movement turning from side to side). A child with torticollis will tilt their head one way and look towards the opposite side and may have difficulty turning and tilting the opposite way.

Physiotherapy is very important for children with torticollis. KidsPhysio can show you exercises, positioning and activities to help your child gain and use the movement they are lacking. These exercises need to be done many times during the day. Some parents prefer the physiotherapist to visit weekly or more to help them carry out the physiotherapy programme whilst some parents are happy to have monthly reviews to check their child’s progress and alter the programme according to their child’s age and needs.