Dystonia

Dystonia Care at UVM Health

Dystonia is a movement disorder that causes your muscles to contract involuntarily, resulting in repeated, twisting or jerky movements or abnormal posture of a body part. These muscle spasms can affect one part of your body or your whole body and make everyday activities difficult.

Dystonia’s symptoms can resemble those of other conditions. Our team at University of Vermont Health has expertise in differentiating, diagnosing and treating all movement disorders. People throughout Vermont and northern New York seek us out for compassionate, comprehensive dystonia care.

Why Choose UVM Health?

As a regional leader in dystonia care, we offer:

Effective treatments: We offer a broad range of treatments to reduce your dystonia symptoms and improve your quality of life. Your individualized plan may include a combination of treatments such as medications, implanted devices and therapy.
Teamwork: Highly skilled providers from diverse medical specialties work together to give you an accurate diagnosis and complete care. Our experts include neurologists, neurosurgeons, neuroradiologists, physiatrists and rehabilitation therapists.
Academic focus: Our physician-leaders are active researchers, many of whom are training the next generation of experts. You can trust that your providers are skilled in the latest proven therapies.

Types of Dystonia

Dystonia can affect one body part (focal dystonia), multiple connected areas of the body (segmental dystonia) or your whole body (general dystonia). Dystonia can also be a symptom of other conditions, such as Huntington’s disease or Parkinson’s disease.

Types of focal dystonia include:

Blepharospasm

Spasms in the eyelid muscles (blepharospasms) cause uncontrollable blinking and can cause your eyelids to close completely, making it difficult to see.

Cervical Dystonia

Cervical dystonia (also called spasmodic torticollis or torticollis) is the most common type of focal dystonia. It affects the muscles in your neck, forcing your head to twist to one side or pull forward or backward.

Laryngeal Dystonia

Laryngeal dystonia (also known as spasmodic dysphonia) affects the muscles that control your vocal cords. This may impact your speech or voice.

Oromandibular Dystonia

Oromandibular dystonia (cranial dystonia) involves forceful contractions of the jaw, lips and tongue muscles. You may have difficulty swallowing, speaking and moving your jaw.

Task-Specific Dystonia

Repeated use of a body part can trigger some types of dystonia, including:

Writer’s cramp: Can affect the muscles of the hand during handwriting
Musician’s dystonia: Affects the muscles you use for singing or playing instruments

Diagnosing Dystonia

Dystonia symptoms can mimic those of other conditions, so your doctor will gather as much information as possible to make an accurate diagnosis. They will complete a thorough physical examination and ask about your medical history and your family’s medical history.

Your doctor may request various tests, including:

Electromyography (EMG): An EMG evaluates how well your muscles and nerves work. Your provider inserts a tiny needle (electrode) into your muscle. You may be asked to contract and relax your muscle while your provider monitors to observe the electrical activity it produces.
Genetic counseling and testing: Some forms of dystonia are inherited (passed down in families). Genetic testing can help inform your treatment options and determine if your family members are at risk for disease.
Imaging tests: Advanced imaging allows us to see your brain in great detail. We use the latest technology, including:
- Computed tomography (CT) scan: X-rays and advanced computers create 3D pictures of cross-sections of your brain.
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): Magnets and a specialized computer work together to provide clear and detailed brain images.
Lab tests: Analyzing your blood, urine and cerebrospinal fluid (the fluid surrounding your spine) can help rule out other conditions that may look like dystonia.
Neurological exam: A neurological exam assesses how well your brain communicates with your body. Your doctor checks your muscle function, reflexes, speech and senses.

Dystonia Treatment

Dystonia has no cure, but treatments can help reduce your symptoms. Our dystonia experts offer a wide range of treatments, including:

Botulinum Toxin

Botulinum toxin is a naturally occurring substance that blocks nerve signals, helping muscles relax. Our neurologists use EMG and ultrasound to identify the precise location where the neurotoxin should be injected.