| Dystonia is not a new condition. It affects thousands | | | | brainstem, but presentation can be clinically different |
| of people every year. Contrary to popular belief, | | | | with symptoms. |
| dystonia is not a normal consequence of growing | | | | Historically, treatment for dystonia has been surgery, |
| older. As a matter of fact, the onset of dystonia can | | | | drug therapy and/or botulinum toxin A injections into |
| occur at any age. Dystonia is not a discriminatory | | | | the affected muscle. Botulin toxin paralyzes the |
| condition, as it will affect men, women or children. | | | | muscle tissue temporarily. It does not fix the original |
| Presentation of dystonia may be varied. Classically, | | | | cause of the dystonia. At best, the effectiveness of |
| dystonia is defined as a movement disorder, which | | | | the botulinum toxin A is three to four months. At this |
| can affect any part of the body. The abnormal | | | | time, the body develops an auto-immune response to |
| movement can be focal, such as twitching of an | | | | treatments, therefore the effectiveness of the |
| eyelid, or global, which could include the arm and | | | | injections is diminished. And until recently, this was the |
| hand, a leg, or even the entire upper torso. A | | | | only effective treatment. |
| dystonic movement disorder can also include | | | | The latest research suggests lack of activation can |
| abnormal muscle tone, twitching, or an unusual | | | | affect the brain's ability to process information. |
| angulation of a joint. There are certain characteristic | | | | Therefore, abnormal signals are misinterpreted by |
| movement patterns that are specific and diagnostic | | | | brain cells, therefore messages can get jumbled. |
| to certain regions of the brain. Depending on the area | | | | Fortunately, non-pharmaceutically based treatments |
| of the brain involved with the tremor, different | | | | are now available and are effective for lasting |
| symptoms may be apparent. | | | | long-term results. Some of the treatments could |
| There are three primary types of dystonia: basal | | | | include auditory or visual stimulation, calorics (warm or |
| ganglionic, mesolimbic, and dystonia from the | | | | cold water in the ear), eye exercises, visual imagery, |
| cerebellum. All three types are from the brain or | | | | or spin therapy. |