Cervical Dystonia
Overview
Cervical dystonia, often called spasmodic torticollis, is a condition where the muscles in your neck tighten up unexpectedly. This tightening causes your head to turn or tilt to one side, or even to tilt forward or backward. It's like your neck muscles are having a mini-stroke, repeatedly pulling your head in an unwanted direction.
This isn't a common condition, and it can affect people of any age. However, it's most frequently diagnosed in middle-aged adults, and women are more likely to experience it than men. The symptoms typically start slowly and gradually get worse until they reach a certain level and then stay roughly the same. They don't usually get drastically worse.
Unfortunately, there's no cure for cervical dystonia. Sometimes, the condition goes away on its own, but this isn't very common. A very common treatment involves injecting a small amount of a special protein (botulinum toxin) into the tight neck muscles. This can help relax the muscles and reduce the painful twisting and tilting. In some more severe cases, surgery might be necessary.
Symptoms
Cervical dystonia is a condition where muscles in your neck contract unexpectedly. This causes your head to move in unusual ways. The movements can include:
- Your chin pulling towards your shoulder. This is the most common type of movement.
- Your ear pulling towards your shoulder.
- Your chin pointing straight up.
- Your chin pointing straight down.
Sometimes, people with cervical dystonia experience a combination of these movements. The head movements might also be jerky.
People with cervical dystonia often have neck pain. This pain can sometimes spread to their shoulders. Headaches are also a common symptom. For some, the pain and other symptoms of cervical dystonia can make daily life very difficult and tiring.
Causes
Cervical dystonia is a condition where the neck muscles uncontrollably contract, causing twisting and painful movements. For many people with this condition, the exact reason why it happens isn't known. However, some people have a family history of cervical dystonia, suggesting a possible genetic link. Scientists have indeed identified certain gene changes (mutations) that can be connected to the development of the disorder in some cases. In other instances, past injuries to the head, neck, or shoulders might play a role.
Risk factors
Cervical dystonia, a condition causing uncontrolled neck movements, has several risk factors. Understanding these factors can help people learn more about the condition and potentially take steps to reduce their risk.
One risk factor is age. While cervical dystonia can affect people at any age, it often starts after the age of 30. This means that while you can get it younger, it's more common in people who are older.
Another factor to consider is gender. Women are more likely to develop cervical dystonia than men. This isn't fully understood, but it's a recognized difference in the way the condition affects people.
Finally, a family history of dystonia (or another type of similar movement disorder) increases your risk. If a close relative, such as a parent or sibling, has cervical dystonia or another type of dystonia, your chances of developing this neck condition are higher. This suggests a possible genetic link. Having a family history of the condition doesn't mean you will definitely get it, but it's a factor to be aware of.
Complications
Sometimes, the uncontrolled muscle tightening in your neck (cervical dystonia) can affect other parts of your body. This often happens in places like your face, jaw, arms, and torso.
People with cervical dystonia may also develop small bony growths (bone spurs) around their spine. These growths can narrow the space inside the spinal canal. This narrowing can lead to feelings of tingling, numbness, and weakness in your arms, hands, legs, or feet.
Diagnosis
To figure out if you have cervical dystonia, a physical exam is usually enough. But your doctor might also order blood tests or an MRI scan. These tests help make sure there isn't another medical problem causing the symptoms you're experiencing. For example, they might check for other conditions that could be mimicking the symptoms of cervical dystonia.
Treatment
Cervical dystonia is a condition with no cure. Sometimes, symptoms go away without any treatment, but they often come back. The goal of treatment is to ease the symptoms, not get rid of them completely.
A common treatment for cervical dystonia is injecting a medicine called botulinum toxin directly into the affected neck muscles. This medicine, which is often used to reduce wrinkles, works by temporarily weakening the muscles. Common brands of this medicine include Botox, Dysport, Xeomin, and Myobloc.
Most people notice improvement after these injections, but they usually need to be repeated every few months.
To make the treatments more effective or to reduce the amount of medicine needed, your doctor might recommend other medications that help relax muscles.
Sometimes, simple actions, like touching the opposite side of your face or the back of your head, can temporarily stop the muscle spasms. These "sensory tricks" can work for some people, but they may not be as effective as the disease progresses.
Applying heat or getting a massage can help relax the neck and shoulder muscles. Exercises that make your neck stronger and more flexible can also be helpful.
Stress can make cervical dystonia symptoms worse, so learning stress-reduction techniques is important.
If less involved treatments don't work, your doctor may suggest surgery. There are two main types of surgery:
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Deep brain stimulation: A thin wire is inserted into a small area of the brain that controls movement. Small electrical pulses sent through the wire interfere with the signals that cause your head to twist.
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Nerve cutting: In this surgery, the nerves that send signals to the affected muscles are cut. This stops the signals from reaching the muscles, reducing the spasms.
Disclaimer: August is a health information platform and its responses don't constitute medical advise. Always consult with a licenced medical professional near you before making any changes.