Corona del Mar High's John Humphreys (6) hangs on for a first-quarter touchdown catch in spite of the defensive efforts of Downey's Brenden Hodge in the quarterfinals of the CIF Southern Section Division 4 playoffs on Friday. (Christine Cotter)
Torticollis, also known as a crick in the neck, wry neck or loxia, is a dystonic condition defined by an abnormal, asymmetrical head or neck position, which may be due to a variety of causes. The term torticollis is derived from the Latin words tortus for twisted and collum for neck.
Congenital muscular torticollis, also called twisted neck or wryneck, is a condition in which an infant holds his or her head tilted to one side and has difficulty turning the head. In congenital torticollis, the muscle that extends down the side of the neck - the sternocleidomastoid muscle -- is tight and shortened. For most babies, stretching exercises and simple changes in how the infant is held or positioned will gradually lengthen the muscle and correct the problem.