What are the symptoms? Expand Symptoms of functional dystonia include: a limb fixed in an abnormal position intermittent attacks of abnormal postures Stress and anxiety are known to exacerbate the symptoms.
Who does it affect? Expand It is estimated that up to 25% of patients seen in movement disorder clinics have some form of functional dystonia. It can affect children and adults.
What are the causes? Expand Dystonia is caused by incorrect signals from the brain to the affected body part but the causes for this are not yet fully understood. Functional dystonia is diagnosed when tests for known causes of a particular symptom such as epilepsy or stroke come back negative. It is sometimes called psychogenic dystonia because clinicians have observed that in many cases there may be underlying psychological or psychiatric factors which contribute to the physical symptoms. As symptoms can sometimes improve when distraction techniques are used, this can unfortunately result in patients being told that they are making them up or imagining them. Functional dystonia is nevertheless a real and disabling neurological disorder. Many people with functional dystonia report that the problem is triggered by an event, often a physical illness or injury. In addition, many patients report a history of stress and psychological difficulty. It is possible that the combination of these two factors (or even one or the other on its own) causes the brain to learn an abnormal pattern of movement or posture which becomes ingrained in the system and occurs without the person's control.
What are the common treatments? Expand Physiotherapy Treatment of any underlying psychological issues e.g. CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) Hypnosis
How will it affect my life? Expand You may need to find ways to adapt and might have to learn new ways to complete everyday tasks. However, it is possible to live well with the condition and Dystonia UK is here to support you through all stages including initial onset, diagnosis, finding treatment and beyond. You may find these coping techniques helpful: If you are able to move the affected part of the body, even to a small degree, do this regularly to encourage flexibility. Change your sitting and standing positions regularly. If you feel as though your limb is straight even when it is bent, use a mirror to give your brain feedback that the limb is not in the correct position.