Torticollis is a form of dystonia (prolonged muscle contractions) in which the neck muscles contract involuntarily causing the head to turn.  Torticollis may occur without known cause (idiopathic), be genetic (inherited), or be acquired secondary to damage to the nervous system or muscles.  It may develop in childhood or adulthood.  Congenital torticollis (present at birth) may be caused by malpositioning of the head in the uterus, or be prenatal injury of the muscles or blood supply in the neck.

Treatment of torticollis, as with any disorder, depends on accurately diagnosing the true cause of the condition first.
Newborn infants with torticollis accompanied by a mass in the contracted SCM ( a large muscle on both sides of the neck) should undergo a treatment regimen of passive stretching exercises to the involved SCM muscle. This protocol is reported to be more successful if started before the age of one year.
Newborn infants without a detectable SCM mass and without x-ray evidence of congenital anomalies of the spine, should be evaluated for rotary subluxation of the upper cervical vertebrae. If cervical subluxation is involved, then gentle cervical traction should be followed by an appropriate specific spinal adjusting technique.
In older children with acquired torticollis resulting from vertebral subluxation, with associated muscular and ligamentous involvement, a soft collar may help to provide support and to keep the involved muscles warm, especially in colder climates. Gentle traction of the neck with specific cervical adjustments to the involved spinal segments is usually effective in 3-4 days.