Stiff person syndrome

Celine Dion's diagnosis with stiff-person syndrome has called attention to the rare disorder, which causes muscle spams and rigidity in the torso and limbs.

Stiff person syndrome is a rare neurological condition that can take years to diagnose and tailor treatment.

Celine Dion canceled her upcoming tour after being diagnosed with this rare neurological condition. Here's what we know.

Because of how rare it is, stiff person syndrome is typically diagnosed by first ruling out other, more common conditions. The treatment for the condition is often a patchwork of medication and non-medication interventions, Dr. Diagnosing the condition takes a combination of tools, Dr. The rigidity and spasming can be treated with muscle relaxers and Botox injections. The presence of the chronic pain can also lead some patients to [develop anxiety](https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11940-009-0013-9), depression and [phobias](https://n.neurology.org/content/64/11/1961.short) of going outside or trying new activities. There is no cure for stiff person syndrome, so doctors focus on symptom and pain management. The muscle spasms can be triggered by a variety of environmental factors, such as The exact cause of the condition is not clear, but “the immune system is involved,” said Dr. Stiff person syndrome often begins with stiffness in the torso and abdomen, which can then spread to the legs, arms and face, Dr. The syndrome is difficult to diagnose, Dr. [have been tied to](https://www.yalemedicine.org/conditions/stiff-person-syndrome) a slight increase in risk for developing the syndrome, Dr. It was first coined in the 1920s (as “stiff man syndrome”) after doctors

Yale School of Medicine assistant neurology professor Dr Richard Nowak told NBC that the condition can range from “quite mild - easily managed with a little bit ...

“In some cases, the condition can level off and stay the way it is. in others, it is a slow, subtle decline.” It can be treated with muscle relaxants or Botox to relieve the spasms, with some patients prescribed intravenous immunoglobulin to reduce stiffness and sensitivity to touch, noise and stress. “Once your muscle starts to contract, it doesn’t have a way to stop itself from contracting,” he told the outlet. Keep up with the latest in lifestyle and entertainmentGet the latest lifestyle & entertainment headlines straight to your inbox. So, what exactly is the condition - and why, as in Dion’s case, is it incurable?

FRIDAY, Dec. 9, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Stiff-person syndrome: Superstar singer Celine Dion announced Thursday that she is living with this rare neurological ...

The rare neurological disease affects about one to two people in a million.

twIn an emotional social-media video posted Dec. 8, singer Celine Dion informed fans that she has been diagnosed with a rare neurological disease called ...

Two years and about 20 doctors later, a neuromuscular specialist finally diagnosed her with stiff person syndrome, based on her symptoms and the fact that Valium was the only intervention that seemed to alleviate some of the pain. While it’s not clear what triggers the syndrome in people who don’t show signs of immune system disorders beforehand, one theory is that stiff person syndrome could be the immune system’s very early response to cancer. She developed a blood clot from the port required for the procedure and couldn’t continue. The monoclonal antibody medication rituximab (Rituxan), which is prescribed to treat certain autoimmune diseases and cancers, can also help. [National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke](https://www.ninds.nih.gov/health-information/disorders/stiff-person-syndrome), stiff person syndrome has similarities to autoimmune disease, in which the body’s immune system attacks its own cells. Currently, the treatments for the condition include muscle relaxants and anti-convulsant medications, which can alleviate some of the symptoms of the condition, as well as IV antibody treatments that try to reset the immune system to dial down its attack on the body’s own cells. “The body may be sensing early cancer and generates an immune response to those early cancer cells with antibodies that cross react with the nervous system. “The inhibitory signals become weaker and weaker, and the excitatory signals start to take over, contracting the muscles uncontrollably.” People with the condition often experience muscle spasms in the trunk, arms, or legs and become more sensitive to noise and touch. “To this day when I see doctors for something else and they see that I have stiff person syndrome, I cannot tell you how many [of them] have said, ‘What is that? After a visit to the emergency room, doctors gave her a Valium drip to address the pain, which helped, but she still didn’t know why she was experiencing spasms. “Something in the software goes wrong, and the inhibitory system starts to malfunction,” says Dr. “I’ve been dealing with problems with my health for a long time…we now know this is what’s been causing all of the spasms that I’ve been having,” said Dion, who is 54.