Successfully moving each part of the body requires a lot of coordination between the brain, nerves and muscles. If something goes wrong with all of this coordination, a person may develop dystonia. This condition is characterized as a type of movement disorder where muscles contract involuntarily. There are three main types of dystonia. A patient can have focal dystonia, which only affects one part of the body, segmental dystonia, where a few parts of the body located next to each other have dystonia, or general dystonia where all areas of the body are affected.
The precise causes of this condition are not understood, but it seems to be linked to issues with nerve cell communication. In some cases, it is caused by other disorders like Parkinson’s disease, brain injury, strokes, medication side effects, brain tumors, or infections. Even if it is not linked to any other severe disorders, it can be painful and distracting enough to impair quality of life and cause difficulty with daily activities.
1. Cramping
One of the first signs of dystonia during its early onset is muscle cramps. A warning sign of the condition is often just frequent cramping in a few specific areas of the body. These symptoms normally start out as a mild issue that occurs every now and then, but it gradually starts to happen more and more often. Occasionally, the cramping will turn into what is called a dystonic storm.
This is an intense episode where a lot of cramping and other dystonic symptoms happen all at once. It can be quite unpleasant, but the symptoms will eventually subside. The muscles cramps associated with dystonia may be mildly uncomfortable, or they may be quite painful. If a person is holding an item, muscle cramps in the hands can cause them to drop the item. They happen because the muscles in the body are tightening excessively. Dystonia related cramps can be triggered by certain activities, but sometimes they just happen even when a person is resting. Hands are the most common area to experience cramps, and people often refer to this as “writer’s cramp.” However, cramping can actually happen anywhere in the body, including the limbs, torso, feet, shoulders, or neck.
2. Involuntary
This is the most common symptom faced by people with dystonia because one of the key symptoms of the disease is involuntary muscle movements. These happen because the contracting muscles can pull parts of the body into various positions. A person may randomly move various parts of the body without meaning to. It can result in small issues like an eyelid twitch or larger issues like an entire limb twitch. The muscle contractions of dystonia may occasionally cause difficulty swallowing or breathing properly until the contractions pass. They may even be bad enough for a person to begin having movements that look like they are having a seizure.
3. Eyelid Twitching
One type of focal dystonia can affect a person’s eyelids. This is also called blepharospasm, and it causes excessive eyelid twitching, rapid blinking, and involuntary eyelid closures. This can cause patients to experience dry eyes or sensitivity to light. The eyelid twitching can be so sharp that it is painful, or it may just be mildly uncomfortable. Some people find that it might go away when they look down or press their fingers to their temples. Therefore, some people with eyelid twitching may unconsciously hold their head at a strange angle without noticing it because this helps to halt the symptom.
4. Torticollis
Torticollis is technically a Latin word that means “twisted neck.” It is used to describe the tilted or twisted neck that is common among patients with dystonia. At first, the neck twisting can occur in spasms, where the head rotates or tilts to one side. Over time, the disease can cause the torticollis to become more permanent. Trying to turn the head against the torticollis movements can cause discomfort. Due to the movements of the neck muscles, some patients with dystonia might also stick out their tongue during spasms. Even if the torticollis is not severe enough to be noticeable, it can cause shoulder, neck, and back pain due to general misalignments.
5. Twisting Movements
Plenty of diseases can cause strange muscle movements, but dystonia movements can typically be distinguished because they involve twisting. This is particularly common in general variants, but it can even happen in focal versions. One limb may randomly twist inward or outward. Many patients notice the twisting limbs when they are trying to walk and a leg twists outwards. If the dystonia is more severe, it can even affect the torso. This causes patients to turn the upper or lower half of their body all the way to the side. Twisting movements frequently happen while a person is sleeping, so it can make insomnia worse.
6. Voice Box Spasms
The voice box is controlled by muscles, so this part of the body can also be affected by the disease. People with this condition will have sudden voice box spasms that make it difficult for them to control their voice. At first, those who have voice box spasms may not notice the signs. Their voice might just sound a little tighter or breathier than usual, and their voice may break on a few sentences every now and then. However, it can eventually get so bad that a person’s voice spasms and breaks on every other word. People who have voice box spasms due to dystonia often find that they are not present when the person is laughing or shouting.
7. Constant Muscle Contractions
Some people with dystonia experience the involuntary muscle contractions in a rather unusual way. Instead of brief cramps or twitching, these people experience muscles that remain contracted for long periods of time. It can lead to a person feeling like certain muscles are locked into a specific position. This requires a lot of energy, so it can be a very exhausting symptom. When the muscles remain contracted for too long, they may become exhausted and cause portions of the body to start shaking. A common area to experience these contractions is in the feet where constant contractions can cause one foot to permanently turn upwards or outwards.
