Body & Balance Studio
Posture scan

Head Rotation

Also known as: head turned, cervical rotation asymmetry.

What it is

Head rotation is a turning (yaw) of the head away from neutral. A consistent resting rotation can reflect an imbalance between the rotating muscles of the two sides of the neck.

How to spot it

In a front photo the face is turned so one cheek shows more than the other and the nose is off-centre relative to the ears.

Muscles involved

Muscles involved in Head Rotation, front view — typically tight muscles in coral, typically weak in teal
Front (anterior) view
Muscles involved in Head Rotation, back view — typically tight muscles in coral, typically weak in teal
Back (posterior) view

Coral = typically tight, teal = typically weak. Anatomical illustration from Z-Anatomy (derived from BodyParts3D), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Typically tight: sternocleidomastoid, upper trapezius

Typically weak: deep cervical rotators

How to correct it

  • Restore symmetric cervical rotation range both directions.
  • Stretch the dominant SCM; retrain a neutral, forward-facing resting position.
Posterior Neck Stretch (Chin Tuck, Supine)stretch · neckLateral Neck Flexor Stretch (Side Tilt)stretch · neckLateral Neck Flexion Stretchstretch · neck
sternocleidomastoidupper trapeziusdeep cervical rotators

Educational wellness content — not a diagnosis. See a clinician for pain or concerns. Run a posture scan to check your own alignment.