Dystonia
What
is it?
Dystonia is a movement
disorder in which involuntary, sustained muscle
contractions cause the muscles to freeze in the
middle of an action.
These slow, repetitive, and often painful
contractions can also cause twisting, turning, or
torquing movements of the entire body or segments
of the body, such as the arms, legs, or neck.
Who
gets it?
Symptoms of dystonia may
appear in childhood, between the ages of 5 and 16.
Symptoms may also appear in late
adolescence or early adulthood.
What
causes it?
Dystonia seems to be caused
by overactivity in the brain, particularly in the
basal ganglia, thalamus, and cerebral cortex.
Most cases of chronic dystonia are genetic.
Those that are not can be caused by a
severe lack of oxygen to the brain either at birth
or through some trauma later in life.
Dystonia can also be caused by stroke;
Wilson’s disease, which is a hereditary
condition in which copper accumulates in the
tissues; metal or carbon monoxide poisoning; and
reactions to certain drugs
When dystonia has no connection to disease
or injury, it is called primary or idiopathic
dystonia.
What
are the symptoms?
One of the first symptoms of
dystonia is usually a deterioration in handwriting
and frequent writer’s cramp.
This usually appears between the ages of 6
and 12. Other
symptoms include foot cramps and the tendency to
pull up or drag one foot after running or walking
for some distance. A
type of dystonia called “blepharospasm” is
characterized by the repeated and involuntary
shutting of the eyelids.
Dystonia that involves the neck muscles is
called “toticollis.”
These spasms can twist the neck to the side, forward, and
backward. Spasmodic
dysphonia can cause tremors and voice or speech
difficulties.
How
is it diagnosed?
Dystonia is diagnosed through
a thorough examination and health history, and is
based upon observation of symptoms.
What
is the treatment?
Doctors use a variety of
therapies, including medications, surgery,
physical therapy, splinting, stress management,
and biofeedback based upon specific symptoms.
The goal of treatment is to reduce or
eliminate muscle spasms and pain.
If the dystonia is a reaction to a certain
drug, treatment usually stops the episode without
recurrence.
This information has been designed as a comprehensive and quick reference
guide written by our health care reviewers. The health information written
by our authors is intended to be a supplement to the care provided by your
physician. It is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for
professional medical advice.
|
