Cervical Dystonia, The Causes, The Symptoms and the Treatment
CERVICAL DYSTONIA, THE CAUSES, THE SYMPTOMS AND THE TREATMENT
What Is Cervical Dystonia?
Cervical Dystonia is a rare neurological disorder that originates in the brain.
What Causes Cervical Dystonia?
Most cases of isolated Cervical Dystonia do not have an underlying identifiable cause or trigger.
However, Cervical Dystonia in some cases is considered secondary.
The condition Cervical Dystonia occurs as a consequence of another disorder or disease.
Example of underlying Cervical Dystonia diseases would be spasticity, Ataxiap, or Parkinson's Disease.
Signs and Symptoms of Cervical Dystonia
The NORD Organization states symptoms of cervical dystonia may begin slowly and can involve any of the muscles of the neck.
The head posture in cervical dystonia can vary. The most common abnormal posture associated with cervical dystonia is the twisting of the chin toward a shoulder so that the head rotates sideways (torticollis).
Other abnormal postures include:
- anterocollis, in which the head tips forward
- retrocollis, in which the head is tilted backward
- laterocollis, in which the head tilts toward one side.
Symptoms of Cervical Dystonia vary over the course of the disorder.
Cervical Dystonia Symptoms may temporarily worsen with stress or excitement.
Is There A Cure For Cervical Dystonia?
There is no cure for Cervical Dystonia.
Botox is usually the first course of treatment.
Cervical Dystonia, My Story
There must be rocks in my neck and shoulder I convey to the pain specialist, Dr. Hamid Fadavi.
Dr. Fadavi tells me he has reviewed my hospital CT and X-Rays of my neck and he did not believe I have arthritis.
He has noted several blurry areas.
I ask if I do not have arthritis is the Relapsing Polychondritis the cause of my neck pain?
He has noted several blurry areas. I ask if I do not have arthritis is the Relapsing Polychondritis the cause of my neck pain?
I ask if I do not have arthritis is the Relapsing Polychondritis the cause of my neck pain?
Does the inflammation from Relapsing Polychondritis cause the blurriness on my X-Rays?
Dr. Fadavi does not answer me immediately.
Instead, I find him looking intensely at my face, neck and then he asks me to stand against a wall.
As I stand against the wall, Dr. Fadavi measures the distance between my shoulders and stance.
After Dr. Fadavi has my measurements he advises me to sit back in my chair.
Before I sit back in my seat, I anxiously rattle out my additional symptoms to Dr. Fadavi.
I proceed to tell him that it sounds crazy, but my face looks distorted.
I have noticed that my face is crooked.
Dr. Fadavi does not think my symptoms are crazy.
He asks me for my driver's license.
I give Dr. Fadavi my driver's license and show him a video I sent to a friend a day earlier.
It is apparent in the video that my jawline is pulling and jerking involuntarily.
The doctor examines the trigger points in my body.
He asks me numerous questions. Is my neck pain better or worse in the morning?
I answer the pain is better in the morning. The pain increases as the day proceeds. Dr. Fadavi tells me he believes I have Cervical Dystonia.
Oh, What is Cervical Dystonia?, I ask.
Dr. Fadavi patiently informs me about Cervical Dystonia and the Botox treatment plan for Cervical Dystonia.
I ask is there a lab test to confirm Cervical Dystonia? No, say Dr. Fadavi. You have to go by the patient's symptoms.
So, how bad are my Cervical Dystonia symptoms? Moderate, the doctor, replies.
Doctor Fadavi then ask me for my phone.
The doctor tells me he is going to take a couple of photo of my face and then compare the photos to after treatment.
The doctor shows me the pictures. My face looks crooked.
The photos show how muscles are pulling and spasming in my neck region. I then ask, does the Botox treatment work?
Sometimes and the results vary, explains the doctor.
My hope for an instant cure has quickly diminished.
I then ask the doctor, What Causes Cervical Dystonia?
The doctor answers, the medical community, is not sure what causes Cervical Dystonia.
Cervical Dystonia is a rare disease that usually occurs in middle age people, forties, fifties.
Ugh, Really?!, You can't make these stories up, screams inside my head.
I already have the rare diseases Sheehan's Syndrome, Relapsing Polychondritis and I was not seeking another rare disease.
The kind-hearted doctor tells me to schedule with the front desk for Cervical Dystonia Botox treatment.
Hopefully, the Botox will stop my muscles from spasming.
Resources:
https://rarediseases.org/rare-diseases/cervical-dystonia/
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/spasmodic-torticollis/home/ovc-20260698
http://www.botoxcervicaldystonia.com/
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