Dystonia symptoms may follow trauma to the head, and/or
trauma to a specific body area.
Dystonia symptoms following head trauma often affect the
side of the body which is opposite to the side of the brain injured by the
trauma.
Examples of peripheral injury include oromandibular
dystonia following dental procedures, blepharospasm following surgery or injury
to the eyes, and cervical dystonia following whiplash or other neck injury.
Symptoms of trauma-induced dystonia may occur in episodes
or “attacks” of symptoms, not respond to sensory tricks, and persist during
sleep.
Brain trauma will often manifest in observable lesions in
the brain that can be assessed by neuroimaging techniques.
Onset of trauma-induced symptoms may be delayed by several
months or years after trauma.
In addition to dystonia, movement disorders that are
believed to result from brain and peripheral trauma include parkinsonism,
tremors, chorea, myolconus, tics, and hemifacial or hemimasticatory spasm.
Treatment for trauma-induced is highly customized, and may
include physical therapy, oral medications, botulinum toxin injection,
complementary therapies, and/or certain types of surgery.