Dystonia is a movement disorder which causes involuntary contractions of your muscles. These contractions result in twisting and repetitive movements. Sometimes they are painful.
Dystonia can affect just one muscle, a group of muscles or all of your muscles. Symptoms can include tremors, voice problems or a dragging foot. Symptoms often start in childhood. They can also start in the late teens or early adulthood. Some cases worsen over time. Others are mild.
Some people inherit dystonia. Others have it because of another disease. Either way, researchers think that a problem in the part of the brain that handles messages about muscle contractions might cause dystonia. There is no cure. Instead, doctors use medicines, surgery, physical therapy and other treatments to reduce or eliminate muscle spasms and pain.
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
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Dystonia
(National Institutes of Health) - Links to PDF - http://www.nih.gov/about/researchresultsforthepublic/Dystonia.pdf
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Dystonias(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/dystonias/detail_dystonias.htm
Also available in Spanish http://espanol.ninds.nih.gov/trastornos/las_distonias.htm
- Dystonia(We Move) - http://www.wemove.org/dys/dys.html
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Dystonias(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - Short Summary - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/dystonias/dystonias.htm
- Dystonia: Diagnosis(We Move) - http://www.wemove.org/dys/dys_dia.html
- How Do I Know What Form of Dystonia I Have?(Dystonia Medical Research Foundation) - http://www.dystonia-foundation.org/pages/what_form_of_dystonia_do_i_have_/27.php
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Botulinum Toxin Injections: A Treatment for Muscle Spasms(American Academy of Family Physicians) - http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/articles/017.printerview.html
Also available in Spanish http://familydoctor.org/online/famdoces/home/articles/017.printerview.html
- Dystonia: Approaches to Treatment(We Move) - http://www.wemove.org/dys/dys_tre.html
- Dystonia: Oral Medications(Dystonia Medical Research Foundation) - http://www.dystonia-foundation.org/pages/oral_medications/121.php
- Spasmodic Torticollis: Treatments(National Spasmodic Torticollis Association) - http://www.torticollis.org/treatments.html
- Dystonia: Physical Therapy(Dystonia Medical Research Foundation) - http://www.dystonia-foundation.org/pages/physical_therapy/111.php
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Benign Essential Blepharospasm(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - Short Summary - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/blepharospasm/blepharospasm.htm
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Blepharospasm(National Eye Institute) - http://www.nei.nih.gov/health/blepha/
- Focal Dystonias(We Move) - http://www.wemove.org/dys/dys_foc.html
- Spasmodic Torticollis(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/spasmodic-torticollis/DS00836/DSECTION=all&METHOD=print
- Torsion Dystonia(Center for Jewish Genetic Diseases) - http://www.mssm.edu/jewish_genetics/diseases/torsion_dystonia.shtml
- What Are the Common Forms of Dystonia?(Dystonia Medical Research Foundation) - http://www.dystonia-foundation.org/pages/forms_of_dystonia/41.php
- Yips(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/yips/DS00969/DSECTION=all&METHOD=print
- Dystonia: FAQs(Dystonia Medical Research Foundation) - http://www.dystonia-foundation.org/pages/frequently_asked_questions/98.php
- Dystonia: Related and Differential Disorders(Dystonia Medical Research Foundation) - http://www.dystonia-foundation.org/pages/related___differential_disorders/95.php
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Deep Brain Stimulation(OR-Live) - Requires Flash Player - One hour program - 5/28/2008 - http://www.or-live.com/distributors/nlm-flash/vau_2319/rnh.cfm?id=735
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Dystonia(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Dystonia%22
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Torticollis(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Torticollis%22
- Dystonia: Genetics(Dystonia Medical Research Foundation) - http://www.dystonia-foundation.org/pages/genetics/87.php
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Genetics Home Reference: Early-onset primary dystonia(National Library of Medicine) - http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition=earlyonsetprimarydystonia
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: A prospective blinded evaluation of deep brain stimulation for the... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18759568&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: The cervical dystonia impact profile (CDIP-58): can a Rasch developed... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18684327&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Results by motor cortex stimulation in treatment of focal dystonia,... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18642628&tool=MedlinePlus
- Dystonia -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=(dystonic+disorders[majr]+OR+dystonia[majr])+AND+english[la]+AND+humans[mh]+AND+(jsubsetk[text]+OR+review[pt]+OR+guideline[pt]+OR+clinical+trial[pt]+OR+patient+education+handout[pt]+OR+systematic[sb])+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt]+OR+case+reports[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus
- Dystonia Glossary of Terms(Dystonia Medical Research Foundation) - http://www.dystonia-foundation.org/pages/glossary/99.php
- Glossary of Terms(We Move) - http://www.wemove.org/glossary/
- Dystonia: Area Support Groups(Dystonia Medical Research Foundation) - http://www.dystonia-foundation.org/pages/find_a_support_group/233.php
- Dystonia: Find a Health Care Professional(Dystonia Medical Research Foundation) - http://www.dystonia-foundation.org/pages/find_a_healthcare_professional/158.php
- Find a Neurologist(American Academy of Neurology) - http://www.thebrainmatters.org/index.cfm?key=1.2.2
- Spasmodic Torticollis: Support(National Spasmodic Torticollis Association) - http://www.torticollis.org/sgleader.html
- Dystonia Medical Research Foundation - http://www.dystonia-foundation.org/
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National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/
Also available in Spanish http://espanol.ninds.nih.gov/
- National Spasmodic Torticollis Association - http://www.torticollis.org/
- We Move - http://www.wemove.org/
- Congenital Muscular Torticollis (Wryneck)(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00054
- Dystonia(We Move) - http://www.mdvu.org/library/pediatric/dystonia/
- Dystonia: Examination(We Move) - http://www.mdvu.org/library/pediatric/dystonia/dys_exa.asp
- Dystonia: Treatment(We Move) - http://www.mdvu.org/library/pediatric/dystonia/dys_tre.asp
- Movement Disorders - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/movementdisorders.html
- Brain and Nerves - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/brainandnerves.html
The primary NIH organization for research on Dystonia is the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/