Types of Dystonia
Types of Dystonia
Dystonia is a movement disorder in which the affected person may have muscle contractions that lead to repetitive movements, twisting or even cause abnormal postures.
These muscle contractions are involuntary and become painful in certain periods. This involuntary movement may affect single muscle or group of muscles in the neck, legs, arms or on the entire body. Dystonia may affect people at any stage like childhood, adolescence, early adulthood or even later.
Classification of Dystonia
Based on the part of the body being affected dystonia can be classified in to Generalized Dystonia which affects all the body parts.
Focal Dystonia which is confined to specific parts of the body. Multifocal Dystonia in which two or more of the body parts that are not lying side by side are involved, like two arms or a leg and an arm.
Segmental Dystonia affects two or more of the adjacent body parts like neck and head.
Hemidystonia in which the legs and arms on the one side of the body is affected.
Types of Focal Dystonia
Focal dystonia is further divided based on which part is being affected and they are:
Cervical Dystonia
Cervical dystonia is otherwise called spasmodic torticollis in which the muscles that are located in the neck and that controls head position are affected. This cause abnormal twisting or turning of neck to one side or may pull the head backward or forward. It may occur at any age.
Blepharospasm
Blepharospasm is the forcible and involuntary closure of eyelids. The spasms may cause blinking of the eyelid that is uncontrollable and initially may affect one eye and in later stage affect both the eyes. This may cause problem to normal vision even if eyesight is normal.
Cranial Dystonia
Here the dystonia affects the muscles of the face, head and neck. In oromandibular dystonia the muscles of the lips, jaw and tongue gets affected and there will be difficultly in speaking and swallowing. Spasmodic dysphonia or laryngeal dystonia affects the muscles in the throat and cause problems while speaking.
Writer’s Cramp
Writer’s cramp is also called typist’s cramp, musician’s cramp or pianist’s cramp and it affects the muscles in the hand, forearm, foot and legs.
