Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsTypesSymptomsCausesDiagnosisTreatmentPrognosisCoping

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Types

Symptoms

Causes

Diagnosis

Treatment

Prognosis

Coping

Dystoniais a type of involuntary movement that can be a symptom of neurological disease or a side effect of certain medications. The movements can interfere with daily life and cause physical discomfort.

For some people with dystonia, the appearance of the movements can be embarrassing or distracting. Dystonia is not dangerous or life-threatening, but it can interfere with the quality of life. Medical treatments can help alleviate dystonia.

This article will discuss the types of dystonia, its symptoms, causes, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis, and how to cope with it.

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Types of Dystonia

The most common types of dystonia are focal or segmental.Focal dystoniainvolves a small area of the body, such as the hand.Segmental dystonia may involve a larger area, such as the whole arm.

Dystonia often involves more than one area of the body, but the movements in each area of the body don’t have to occur at the same time. The term for this is multifocal dystonia.

Some types of dystonia include:

Dystonia Symptoms

Dystonia is an involuntary movement or set of movements that can last for seconds to minutes at a time or longer. The same movements may recur frequently every day.

Unlike a seizure, dystonic movements do not rapidly recur within a few seconds or minutes. Dystonia is not associated with any change in consciousness or awareness.

Symptoms of dystonia can include:

These effects occur involuntarily, and there can be a pattern, such as an association with sleeping time or medication dose.

Conditions that cause damage to regions of the brain that are involved with mediating voluntary physical movements may lead to dystonia. It is especially associated with changes in the basal ganglia, which is located in the brain stem.

Certain medical conditions and risk factors can lead to dystonia, but sometimes it may occur without an identifiable cause.

Some of the conditions that can lead to dystonia include:

These conditions can cause disturbances in the production of, the release of, or the response toneurotransmitters(chemical messengers between nerve cells) that control movement.

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that is particularly associated with the control of movements. A defect in dopamine production or responsiveness is often associated with dystonia.

Dystonia vs. DyskinesiaDyskinesiais another movement disorder that is often confused with dystonia.There are several differences:Dyskinesia tends to be a smooth, constant movement, but dystonia is a sustained posture.Dystonia is a common symptom of Parkinson’s disease.Dyskinesia is not a symptom of Parkinson’s disease itself but may develop as a side effect of medications for the condition.Tardive dyskinesiais a type of dyskinesia that occurs as a side effect of medications, especially those that treat psychosis and Parkinson’s disease.

Dystonia vs. Dyskinesia

Dyskinesiais another movement disorder that is often confused with dystonia.There are several differences:Dyskinesia tends to be a smooth, constant movement, but dystonia is a sustained posture.Dystonia is a common symptom of Parkinson’s disease.Dyskinesia is not a symptom of Parkinson’s disease itself but may develop as a side effect of medications for the condition.Tardive dyskinesiais a type of dyskinesia that occurs as a side effect of medications, especially those that treat psychosis and Parkinson’s disease.

Dyskinesiais another movement disorder that is often confused with dystonia.

There are several differences:

Tardive Dyskinesia vs. Dystonia: What Are the Differences?

Dystonia is diagnosed based on a medical history of the symptoms as well as a physical examination. Sometimes diagnostic testing is necessary to identify the cause of dystonia, which can help determine the best steps for treating the symptoms and the underlying condition.

When you go for an evaluation for your movement complaints, your healthcare provider will ask you questions about the frequency, timing, triggering factors, type of movements, and the parts of the body that the movements affect.

Your physical examination will include a comprehensiveneurological examination. Your healthcare provider will observe you to see if you experience any involuntary movements during your physical examination. You might not necessarily have them during your medical visit, depending on how frequently they occur.

Your provider will assess your muscle tone, muscle strength, reflexes, sensation, and ability to walk. Some types of dystonia are associated with changes in these aspects of the physical examination.

Diagnostic testing may include:

Medication can sometimes treat dystonia, but interventional procedures are usually more effective and have fewer side effects. Sometimes, physical therapy may help you cope, but it does not completely treat dystonia.

Medication adjustments may be necessary if dystonia occurs as a medication side effect. However, this can be tricky when the medication is necessary to treat an underlying disorder, such as a mental health condition.

Oral medications, such as muscle relaxers or medications that affect dopamine levels, may help alleviate dystonia, but the side effects might be intolerable, and some can cause tardive dyskinesia.

Procedures

Some interventions can prevent the muscle from contracting involuntarily. Typically, procedures for managing dystonia are more useful when the involved muscle is localized and not when there are multiple areas throughout the body involved in the dystonic movement.

Procedures that can be used to help in the treatment of dystonia include:

How to Treat Your Dystonia

Usually, dystonia does not go away on its own. Dystonia is often a symptom of underlying medical conditions or occurs as a side effect of medication. Medication can treat it, and sometimes, adjustments in the causative medication can result in the complete resolution of dystonia.

However, dystonia will not resolve unless it is either treated or the underlying cause is managed.

Living with dystonia can be extremely challenging. Aside from medical management, physical therapy and lifestyle adjustments can help a person manage their day-to-day life.

Ways to cope include:

Over time, dystonia can worsen if a progressive underlying medical condition is causing it. Sometimes, dystonia may improve with medication. You may need some adjustments in the lifestyle modifications that you make to cope with dystonia if the movements change in location or severity over the years.

Summary

Dystonia is a type of involuntary movement in which the body takes on a sustained involuntary posture. It often results from medication or brain damage. Dystonia can be uncomfortable and interfere with day-to-day life.

There are treatments for dystonia, including medication and certain procedures that can help prevent involuntary movements.

8 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Menon V, Varadharajan N, Bascarane S, Andrade C.Efficacy of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation and transcranial direct current stimulation in focal hand dystonia: systematic review of intervention trials.Asian J Psychiatr.2022;80:103437. doi:10.1016/j.ajp.2022.103437National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Dystonias fact sheet.Khan HA.Use of botulinum toxin in spasmodic dysphonia: a review of recent studies.Cureus.2023;15(1):e33486. doi:10.7759/cureus.33486Chinn E, Brunette ND, Driver BE, et al.Comparison of efficacy and frequency of akathisia and dystonia between olanzapine, metoclopramide and prochlorperazine in ED headache patients.Am J Emerg Med.2022;65:109-112. doi:10.1016/j.ajem.2022.12.039Parkinson’s Foundation.Dystonia.Parkinson’s Foundation.Dyskinesia.Cornett EM, Novitch M, Kaye AD, Kata V, Kaye AM.Medication-induced tardive dyskinesia: a review and update.Ochsner J. 2017;17(2):162-174.Wilson TJ, Spinner RJ.Selective cervical denervation for cervical dystonia: modification of the Bertrand procedure.Oper Neurosurg (Hagerstown). 2018;14(5):546-555. doi:10.1093/ons/opx147

8 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Menon V, Varadharajan N, Bascarane S, Andrade C.Efficacy of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation and transcranial direct current stimulation in focal hand dystonia: systematic review of intervention trials.Asian J Psychiatr.2022;80:103437. doi:10.1016/j.ajp.2022.103437National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Dystonias fact sheet.Khan HA.Use of botulinum toxin in spasmodic dysphonia: a review of recent studies.Cureus.2023;15(1):e33486. doi:10.7759/cureus.33486Chinn E, Brunette ND, Driver BE, et al.Comparison of efficacy and frequency of akathisia and dystonia between olanzapine, metoclopramide and prochlorperazine in ED headache patients.Am J Emerg Med.2022;65:109-112. doi:10.1016/j.ajem.2022.12.039Parkinson’s Foundation.Dystonia.Parkinson’s Foundation.Dyskinesia.Cornett EM, Novitch M, Kaye AD, Kata V, Kaye AM.Medication-induced tardive dyskinesia: a review and update.Ochsner J. 2017;17(2):162-174.Wilson TJ, Spinner RJ.Selective cervical denervation for cervical dystonia: modification of the Bertrand procedure.Oper Neurosurg (Hagerstown). 2018;14(5):546-555. doi:10.1093/ons/opx147

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Menon V, Varadharajan N, Bascarane S, Andrade C.Efficacy of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation and transcranial direct current stimulation in focal hand dystonia: systematic review of intervention trials.Asian J Psychiatr.2022;80:103437. doi:10.1016/j.ajp.2022.103437National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Dystonias fact sheet.Khan HA.Use of botulinum toxin in spasmodic dysphonia: a review of recent studies.Cureus.2023;15(1):e33486. doi:10.7759/cureus.33486Chinn E, Brunette ND, Driver BE, et al.Comparison of efficacy and frequency of akathisia and dystonia between olanzapine, metoclopramide and prochlorperazine in ED headache patients.Am J Emerg Med.2022;65:109-112. doi:10.1016/j.ajem.2022.12.039Parkinson’s Foundation.Dystonia.Parkinson’s Foundation.Dyskinesia.Cornett EM, Novitch M, Kaye AD, Kata V, Kaye AM.Medication-induced tardive dyskinesia: a review and update.Ochsner J. 2017;17(2):162-174.Wilson TJ, Spinner RJ.Selective cervical denervation for cervical dystonia: modification of the Bertrand procedure.Oper Neurosurg (Hagerstown). 2018;14(5):546-555. doi:10.1093/ons/opx147

Menon V, Varadharajan N, Bascarane S, Andrade C.Efficacy of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation and transcranial direct current stimulation in focal hand dystonia: systematic review of intervention trials.Asian J Psychiatr.2022;80:103437. doi:10.1016/j.ajp.2022.103437

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Dystonias fact sheet.

Khan HA.Use of botulinum toxin in spasmodic dysphonia: a review of recent studies.Cureus.2023;15(1):e33486. doi:10.7759/cureus.33486

Chinn E, Brunette ND, Driver BE, et al.Comparison of efficacy and frequency of akathisia and dystonia between olanzapine, metoclopramide and prochlorperazine in ED headache patients.Am J Emerg Med.2022;65:109-112. doi:10.1016/j.ajem.2022.12.039

Parkinson’s Foundation.Dystonia.

Parkinson’s Foundation.Dyskinesia.

Cornett EM, Novitch M, Kaye AD, Kata V, Kaye AM.Medication-induced tardive dyskinesia: a review and update.Ochsner J. 2017;17(2):162-174.

Wilson TJ, Spinner RJ.Selective cervical denervation for cervical dystonia: modification of the Bertrand procedure.Oper Neurosurg (Hagerstown). 2018;14(5):546-555. doi:10.1093/ons/opx147

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