- Celine Dion revealed Thursday she has been diagnosed with stiff-person syndrome.
- Stiff Person Syndrome is a very rare neurological disorder that causes progressive muscle stiffness and painful spasms.
In a video about her world tour future, posted Thursday, Celine Dion opened up about being diagnosed with stiff person syndrome.
The Canadian singer said a rare neurological disorder had caused her severe muscle spasms, affecting her ability to walk and sing. It means that the show has to be cancelled.
“Cramps can affect every aspect of your daily life, making it difficult for you to walk, or you can’t use your vocal cords to sing like you used to,” Dion said in the video. posted on Instagram“I have to admit it’s been a struggle. All I know is singing. It’s what I’ve been doing all my life.”
Dion said he now needs to focus on his health and is working with an “amazing team of doctors”. He said he expects more success in the future.
Stiff Person Syndrome is a rare neurological disorder. Affect According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, it’s one or two in a million people. The disease causes particularly progressive muscle stiffness and painful spasms. Treatment focuses on relieving symptoms.
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“It’s a disease characterized by progressive muscle stiffness, muscle spasms, and stiffness, typically in the back muscles, specifically in the hips and upper extremities.” Manabu told USA TODAY.
“It’s not just the arm muscles, it can affect other muscles, such as the speaking muscles and the swallowing muscles. “But it’s less common.”
Here’s what you should know:
What is Stiffness Syndrome?
Stiff Person Syndrome (SPS) is a rare “neuropathy with autoimmune features”. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Note.
The disease causes “progressive muscle stiffness and painful spasms” triggered by environmental factors such as “sudden movements, cold temperatures, and unexpected loud noises.”
With extreme muscle spasms, “muscles can feel tight like rocks, so it can be very uncomfortable and painful,” Desai said, adding that other people who can cause these spasms can also experience pain. The stimulation of the muscle may include touching the muscle, he added. and stress.
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What are the symptoms of SPS?
Prominent SPS symptoms include muscle stiffness and painful muscle spasms that may be triggered by emotional stress or external stimuli. These spasms can be “very severe and cause a person to fall.” Yale Medical says.
“We all have muscle spasms, but these are muscle spasms that are beyond your control in that the muscles lock up and become very stiff. You have truncal dystonia.” Dr. Robert Wilson, Neurologist and Director of the Autonomic Center Cleveland Clinicexpanding on some serious cases he’s seen, told USA TODAY.
These symptoms can lead to difficulty walking, among other disabilities. Yale Medicine notes that people with SPS are more likely to experience anxiety and depression, noting that patients have “low levels of the anxiety-regulating neurotransmitter GABA,” which explains how unpredictable the disease can be. pointing out.
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NINDS adds that many people with SPS are “afraid to leave the house” because of environmental stimuli, such as loud noises, that can trigger an episode.
Are the symptoms different for each person?
Of course, the symptoms of SPS vary and each patient’s experience is different. “It’s a spectrum of severity,” says Desai.
“Some people have mild convulsions, others have complete dystonia where parts of their bodies become stiff like boards or statues, and others remain locked up 24/7. People may just[have]episodes,” Wilson said. “It varies from patient to patient.”
Rarely, there was also stiff-person syndrome, as noted by both Desai and Wilson. related to cancer.
How rare is SPS?
According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, SPS is considered very rare.
Desai adds that people diagnosed with stiff-person syndrome are usually in their 20s to 50s, but the disease can also be seen in younger and older people. Two to three times as many,” he said.
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How is SPS diagnosed?
Desai and Wilson note that diagnosing the syndrome can be difficult, especially because the disease is so rare.
patient history, neurological examination, and blood tests, spinal fluid analysis, EMGs can be used for confirm the diagnosis.
Diagnosis is important, Wilson says, especially if the patient’s symptoms were unexplained or misdiagnosed in the past.
“Validation is very important for people with neuropathy, because even if they look somewhat good, they can still be suffering internally,” he said. If they feel, we can help them.”
What causes the disease?
The exact cause remains unknown. But research suggests that SPS results from “an autoimmune response that goes awry in the brain and spinal cord,” he writes NINDS.
Can SPS be cured? Terminal?
There’s no cure for SPS, says Yale Medicine.
Desai explained that SPS can be terminal in rare cases.
“It’s a rare disease to begin with. There have been reports of deaths, but it’s rare for a rare disease,” Desai said.
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Contributors: Elise Brisco, USA TODAY.