Conditions
Cervical Dystonia
Cervical dystonia, also known as torticollis, is the most common type of dystonia and affects the muscles in the neck. There are thought to be 40,000 people in the UK with this condition with the average age of sufferers being the early 40s, and with more women being affected than men. Cervical dystonia causes the muscles in the neck to spasm or contract meaning that the head and neck twist, are pulled forward, pulled backward or pulled from side to side. These symptoms can range from being very mild to very severe and from jerky spasms to being quite sustained. As a result these symptoms can cause additional problems of neck pain and stiffness. Living with cervical dystonia can be difficult to cope with, as head turning can stop someone seeing the road whilst driving and make it difficult to eat, brush teeth or apply makeup. Therefore, many people with the condition find embarrassment and anxiety a major symptom as well.
Cervical dystonia is known as being a late-onset primary dystonia. Being part of this group means that the cause for cervical dystonia is unknown and in fact the condition itself is poorly understood. Cervical dystonia tends to develop gradually and in a quarter of all cases this is accompanied by trembling hands. It is thought that most cases of primary dystonia are caused by problems with a part of the brain known as the basal ganglia. This is a collection of brain cells that are responsible for sending messages from the brain to various muscles in order to move them. It is suspected that the basal ganglia does not produce enough neurotransmitters, or it produces the wrong type, resulting in problems with muscle function.
Stress can often cause the symptoms of cervical dystonia to worsen, and it has been reported that hypnotherapy and relaxation techniques can help by relieving stress. In most sufferers the condition will worsen over five years until the symptoms begin to stabilise, but a third of patients go on to develop segmental dystonia affecting the arm. Also, in around 10% of patients the symptoms can stop spontaneously and then reoccur later.
Unfortunately there is no cure, however there are some treatments available that can control the symptoms. Core treatment must be carried out by a neurologist, with botox being a common prescribed treatment. Other treatments include medication, muscle relaxants and physical therapy. With cervical dystonia, neck spasming can normally be relieved by touching your chin, neck or back of the head, known as a sensory trick, but the reason why this helps is unknown. Selective peripheral denervation surgery is also an option for those with cervical dystonia. This procedure allows the doctor to cut away the nerve endings that are connected to the spasming resulting in some loss of feeling in the neck afterwards.
For more information about Dystonia go to The Dystonia Society
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My girlfriend has this too but she can pass out up to 20 during a attack? Does any body else get this? Xd
it sounds like botox is not worth it and my wife had a nervous stomach before she got cervical dystonia so now the medications they prescribe really do a number on her. She is not sure which is worse the medications or the symptoms but ended up in the ER when she went off the meds. Now she is going to try hypnosis and we really can't afford it but if it works it will be worth it, if it doesn't work we are not sure what to try next. Any ideas? She is unable to work and her head is leaning whenever she walks plus she has involuntary tremors quite often.
Can anyone tell me the name of the hypnotherapist that treated the man on the programme that had dystonia. The treatment seemed to have immediate success which is what I am looking for having tried cortisone injections and botox for years without much improvement
the hypnotherapist is Jacqueline Van Der Voort. She is great
Anyone know a good hypnotherapist in Berkshire area?
this has not help me as the cysts is in thelower cervical roots right side hand side at C6C7and C7T1 dr pinto said its very rare,none oppereable, need more in formation wont to know more of out come took 2 years to dignose
Hi, I was diagnosed with cervical dystonia 13 years ago and have been having botox injections for the past 11 years. The injections are starting to wear off more quickly now,so i get the spasms more frequently and my neck will suddenly pull to the right every now. This can be embarassing especially in front of people I don't know and when I'm at work, etc. It makes a stressful situation even more stressful when you're conscious of it, tensed up and trying to hide the spasms so people don't notice! I defintely think hypnotherapy would help us deal with dystonia in that sense, and I would use it if the injections stopped working. Telling people about your condition also helps, so people are aware if you're having a bad day. I wish everyone luck with any treatment they undertake for this condition!
When the bloke that had cervical dystonia was on tv, you indicated that hypnotherapy treatment was available on the NHS. I live in Yorkshire & so far neither my Doctor and my Neurologist hasn't found one. Can you please help with this?
struggling with neck shoulder pain stopped botox as it is chemicals into your body what is the long tearm effect of it ? excited to hear of hypotherpy on embarrasing bodies went to doctor been told not available on NHS paid for accupunture no releif so far would like an address for hypnotherpy thankyou ps my thoughts are with you other sufferers.
I carry ladder every day at my workplace. I have been doing this for many years and now I am 56 years old and my neck spine and chest,also big toe, heel is in pain after working. I wonder if I should stop working as I have been taking painkillers to stop the pain? It helps a lot but I am concerned I am taking too much painkillers.
Hi, I was diagnosed with spambolic torticollis about 10 years ago. It`s been a real struggle for me to keep working with this illness. Every so often as the muscles in my neck get so week they pull leaving me with server pain. I have been having botox on & off for years, but they only seem to help a little. I`ve tried relaxation techniques which help a little. By watching embarrasing bodies i recently learned of hypnotheropy as a treatment but my doctor said it is`nt avalible on the NHS in swindon. I would go private but i don`t think that i would be able to afford it, can anybody help me.
Hi, my name's Katherine and I'm 15 years old. I've been getting torticollis for a year now, and have had it 6 times in this period, each time for about 7-10 days. I've had my neck x-rayed and been to 2 doctors, 2 physiotherapists and 3 osteopaths. They can't find anything wrong with my bone structure, and when I visit these people they can't really do anything to shorten the amount of time I get it for. I was wondering what I should do to prevent torticollis from happening? And also will I keep getting for the rest of my life? Because it normally affects older people or infants, not teenagers and it only usually lasts for 2-3 days. Thankyou for any help, I really appreciate it.
Your question was asked a few months ago so I hope that my message finds you. To be sure that what you are experiencing is cervical dystonia or as you say torticollis you would need to see a Neurologist. This dr is a specialist and can give you a good deal of information about Dystonia. I too was young when the symptoms started. The symptoms started when I was 18. It started with pain in my ears. It was difficult to get a diagnosis because i was so young. But I knew that something was not right and I kept moving forward trying to find out what was going on. Dystonia is a life long disease, there is no cure. Treatment involves medication and Botox injections. The best thing for you right now is to have your parents get you into a neurologist. There is hope that it may not be Dystonia. You mention that it lasts only 2-3 days. After it ends are you completely back to normal. If so its possible that somethings else is happening. Good luck.
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