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, multiple sclerosis, or a stroke
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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
