Important Things to Know About Dystonia
In a nutshell, dystonia is a disorder that affects the way a person moves. Therefore, dystonia is classified as a movement disorder. A small problem in the nervous system (which is made up of your brain, spinal cord, and nerves) makes your muscles tighten and twist against your will. These muscle spasms may force your body into strange positions or movements that get in the way of walking, sitting, using a pencil, using a fork, speaking, and any number of other activities. Because dystonia interferes with these important life activities, dystonia is considered a disability.
For people who do not have dystonia, the brain sends clear instructions to the
For people who do not have dystonia, the brain sends clear instructions to the
Teens with dystonia succeed at school, make friends, and enjoy successful lives.
muscles of the body about how and when to move. The brain also signals to the muscles how and when to stop moving. Scientists believe that, in people with dystonia, the brain is sending chaotic messages to the muscles. These chaotic messages enlist more muscles than are necessary to complete a movement and do not tell the muscles the proper time to stop moving. (An example is when someone with dystonia moves the hand and arm to pick up a pencil, and all of a sudden the shoulders and back want to jump in and get involved.) The muscles respond to these messages and send equally chaotic signals back to the brain that reinforce the unnecessary movements. So both the brain and the muscles get caught in a cycle of “bad information.” Because the nervous system is affected, dystonia is also classified as a neurological disorder.
Email this page
Print this page