Dystonia is a medical term for a range of movement disorders that cause muscle spasms and contractions. This can cause repetitive or twisting movements and they are sometimes painful. Dystonia can affect one muscle, a muscle group, or the entire body. Some of the symptoms includes, Cramping of the foot, Involuntary pulling of the neck, Uncontrollable blinking, Speech difficulties and so on. Most cases of dystonia do not have a specific cause. Dystonia seems to be related to a problem in the basal ganglia. That’s the area of the brain that is responsible for initiating muscle contractions. The problem involves the way the nerve cells communicate.
Classification of Dystonia
According to an article by WebMd published and Medically Reviewed by Smitha Bhandari, MD on August 18, 2021; dystonias can also be classified as syndromes based on their patterns:
Blepharospasm
Blepharospasm is a type of dystonia that affects the eyes. It usually begins with uncontrollable blinking. At first, typically, it affects just one eye. Eventually, though, both eyes are affected. The spasms cause the eyelids to involuntarily close. Sometimes they even cause them to remain closed. The person may have normal vision. But this permanent closing of the eyelids makes the person functionally blind.
Cervical Dystonia
Cervical dystonia, or torticollis, is the most common type. Cervical dystonia typically occurs in middle-aged individuals. It has, though, been reported in people of all ages. Cervical dystonia affects the neck muscles, causing the head to twist and turn or be pulled backward or forward.
Tardive dystonia
Tardive dystonia is caused by a reaction to a drug. The symptoms are typically only temporary and treatable with medication.
Torsion dystonia
Torsion dystonia is a very rare disorder. It affects the entire body and seriously disables the person who has it. Symptoms generally appear in childhood and get worse as the person ages. Researchers have found that torsion dystonia is possibly inherited, caused by a mutation in the gene DYT1.
When to see a doctor
Early signs of dystonia often are mild, occasional and linked to a specific activity. See your health care provider if you’re having involuntary muscle contractions.
