Health/ Health Reference

What Is The Best Treatment For Cervical Dystonia?

At this time there is no cure for cervical dystonia and the best treatment options for Cervical Dystonia are limited.

For some patients affected with Cervical Dystonia, find the condition can resolve without treatment. However, long remissions of Cervical Dystonia are not common.

The Injection of botulinum toxin into the affected muscles often reduces the signs and symptoms of cervical dystonia. Surgery may be appropriate in a few cases.

What Are The Symptoms Of Cervical Dystonia?

Cervical dystonia causes abnormal muscle contractions in the neck.

Abnormal neck muscle contractions can cause head and neck twisting (torticollis) or the neck being pulled forwards (anterocollis), the neck contacts backward (retrocollis), or the neck contracts sideways (laterocollis).

• Neck muscle contraction increases during stress
• The symptoms of Cervical Dystonia increases during the day
• Symptoms of Cervical Dystonia improves with restA person with Cervical Dystonia may feel improvement when they apply pressure on the chin or different sides of the neck.

Doctors may mistakenly diagnose Cervical dystonia as:

• Effects of head trauma
• Slept in a poor position
• Psychological Issues
• Fibromyalgia
• A pulled neck
• Muscle strain

General Practitioner Doctors often refer patients with the above symptoms to a Neurologist.

A patient with Cervical Dystonia Symptoms is usually referred to a Neurologist to rule out Parkinson’s, Ataxia, and Multiple Sclerosis (MS).

Another sign for a medical specialist to indicate a patient may have Cervical Dystonia is:

• Talk therapy does not improve symptoms
• The patient still has symptoms with pain killers
• Cervical Dystonia symptoms do not resolve over time
• A patient feels relief with sensory e.g. The patient places their finger on their chin or on areas of the neck where the pain radiates.
• A medical specialist witnesses the patient’s neck movement when the patient is not aware of being observed.

Health Reference/ Health Resources:

https://rarediseases.org/rare-diseases/cervical-dystonia/

http://www.dystonia.org.uk/index.php/professional-research/types-of-dystonia/cervical-dystonia

 

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You can read about my experience with Cervical Dystonia at My Story With Cervical Dystonia and you can learn more about Cervical Dystonia at What Is Cervical Dystonia?

The HypoGal Blog provides health references and shortcuts to life with a chronic illness.