#1Minute1Disease: focal dystonia
Published 27 May 2019 • By Louise Bollecker
The purpose of the #1Minute1Disease with Carenity is to raise awareness of a disease: key figures, symptoms, causes and treatments are discussed. Share this article to help raise awareness of chronic diseases among those around you!
What is focal dystonia?
Focal dystonia is a disorder of the nervous system that affects 70,000 people in the UK. It can be of genetic origin (called primary dystonia) or it can be the result of trauma, infection or the use of certain drugs (called secondary dystonia). The most common form of focal dystonia is cervical dystonia - or spastic torticollis - which affects the neck area.
The main symptoms are involuntary muscle contractions. There is no specific medical examination to diagnose the disease. The main treatment is botulinum toxin, injected directly into the muscle affected by dystonia. This helps to relieve contractions but today, it is not possible to cure dystonia. Other complementary treatments exist, such as physiotherapy.
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