September 2020 is dystonia awareness month
Dystonia is a movement disorder thought to affect 100,000 people in the UK.
The condition is characterised by involuntary and unwanted movements and spasms. It can affect any part of the body, but more commonly the neck, jaw, face, eyelids, hands and vocal cords.
Here are some of the terms that are used:
- cervical dystonia, spasmodic torticollis (neck)
- blepharospasm (eye)
- writer’s cramp, musician’s cramp, (hand)
- focal dystonia
- Laryngeal dystonia, spasmodic dysphonia (voice — vocal chords)
- oromandibular (mouth, tongue, jaw)
- Meige syndrome (eye with mouth, tongue and jaw)
For more details, you can visit the Dystonia UK site here.
Dystonia often has a significant impact upon the person’s life, together with those around them.
As we are learning more about human movement and perception, the options for treatment and training are increasing. This gives great hope that people can improve their lives.
This has been my focus over the past 10 years. I have developed a programme of sensorimotor training accompanied by a range of practices, tools and exercises that help the person move on.
Here is an insight from a webinar I gave for Dystonia UK: click here
Importantly, together with specific training, we look at how can the person improve the quality of their life and build wellness. With a direction, a programme to follow and a set of tools and practices to use, this becomes possible.
Over the Dystonia Awareness month, I will be writing a series of blogs looking at what we can do to guide and encourage people.
If you have any questions, please do get in touch.