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By Mayo Clinic staffCervical dystonia, also called spasmodic torticollis, is a painful condition in which your neck muscles contract involuntarily, causing your head to twist to one side. Cervical dystonia can also cause your head to uncontrollably tilt forward or back.
A rare disorder that can occur at any age, even infancy, cervical dystonia most often occurs in middle-aged women. Symptoms generally begin gradually and then reach a point where they don't get any worse.
There is no cure for cervical dystonia, but the disorder sometimes resolves on its own. Injecting botulinum toxin into the affected muscles often reduces the signs and symptoms of cervical dystonia. Rarely, surgery may be necessary.
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