What is dystonia?
"Dys" means bad or not normal. "Tonia" refers to muscle tension or tone. So dystonia is abnormal muscle tone. Your muscles tighten up without you wanting them to.
The abnormal muscle tone of dystonia usually results in muscle cramping. A cramp is a sudden painful muscle contraction (spasm) that you can't control. Muscle cramps may happen more and more over time and force your body into an odd or twisted position.
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At first, muscle spasms come and go, so you may blink your eyes, grind your jaw, move your arms, or make other motions
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Later, the affected muscles may stay in spasm so part of your body is stuck in one position
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Dystonia happens when there's overactivity in the parts of your brain that control your muscles
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Dystonia can be inherited or caused by brain disorders or by some medicines
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Doctors will treat the cause of your dystonia and may prescribe pills or injections to help relax your muscles
What causes dystonia?
Dystonia is caused by:
This overactivity can happen because of:
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A problem with a gene you inherit from your parents
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Brain disorders such as cerebral palsy Cerebral Palsy Cerebrum (cerebral) is a medical word for the large part of the brain that controls muscles. Palsy is a problem moving muscles. CP is a brain condition that affects the muscles. It makes muscles... read more , multiple sclerosis Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Sclerosis means scarring. Multiple sclerosis is a disease that causes multiple scars on nerves in your brain and spinal cord. These scars keep the nerves from working properly. You may have... read more , or a stroke Stroke A stroke is a sudden brain problem that happens when a blood vessel in your brain either gets blocked or breaks open and bleeds. Part of your brain stops getting blood. Brain tissue that doesn't... read more
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Certain medicines
What are the symptoms of dystonia?
The main symptom is:
At first the muscle cramp happens only once in a while or during stress. Over time, the muscle cramp happens more often and lasts longer. The cramping body part may stay in a specific, sometimes painful, position. This can cause disability.
Dystonia can happen in your:
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Eyelid, usually starting as extra blinking, eye discomfort, or extreme sensitivity to bright light
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Neck muscles, causing a twisted, painful neck ("wry neck")
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Vocal cords, causing changes in your ability to speak or the quality of your voice
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Face muscles, which may include uncontrolled blinking, jaw grinding, and odd facial expressions
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Any muscle you overuse—for example, the fingers of a professional pianist
