Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsTypesSymptomsCausesDiagnosisTreatmentPrognosisCoping
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Types
Symptoms
Causes
Diagnosis
Treatment
Prognosis
Coping
Dystoniais a movement disorder that causes the body’s muscles to involuntarily spasm, stiffen, or change position—usually for a few minutes at a time.Focal dystoniaaffects only one or a few areas of the body. Dystonia can interfere with movement, and the lack of motor control may sometimes cause emotional distress.
This article describes the types, symptoms, causes, diagnosis, and treatment of focal dystonia, as well as an overview of what you should expect If you have this condition and how to cope.
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Types of Focal Dystonia
The different types of focal dystonia can be described with reference to the affected area of the body, the cause, or the situation in which they occur.
Some types of focal dystonia based on the body area affected are:
There can be an overlap between different types of focal dystonia. For example, it’s possible to have idiopathic hand dystonia.
How Many People Have Dystonia?The incidence of primary dystonia is estimated to affect approximately 16.43 per 100,000 people.
How Many People Have Dystonia?
The incidence of primary dystonia is estimated to affect approximately 16.43 per 100,000 people.
Focal Dystonia Symptoms
Focal dystonia can occur intermittently, with recurrent episodes of stiffening or movement of the affected part of the body. It can occur multiple times per day, or it may occur infrequently—such as once a week, or even less often.The involuntary movement can have a duration of minutes or longer.
When someone has focal dystonia, it can look like they are intentionally moving their body normally (even though it is not on purpose), or it might be obvious that they are twisting or turning part of their body in a way that doesn’t have a purpose or may look comfortable.
The symptoms of focal dystonia depend on which part of the body is affected. For example, the hand may bend involuntarily and remain in that position for several minutes at a time. Laryngeal dystonia may cause difficulty in speaking, and it may affect breathing.
Common symptoms of focal dystonia can include:
Dystonia may occur along with other movement impairments or disorders, such ashemiparesis(weakness of one side of the body),dyskinesia(involuntary muscle movements), tremors, orbradykinesia(slow movements).
Dystonia occurs when there is recurrent, purposeless motor stimulation of part of the body. This can occur due to disruption of the pathways in the brain that cause movement or inconsistency of theneurotransmitters(chemical messengers for nerve cells) that trigger movement.It can occur due to a genetic condition, medical condition, or without a known underlying cause.
Medical conditions that can cause dystonia include:
Focal dystonia is a clinical diagnosis recognized based on symptoms and physical examination. You may have one or more episodes of dystonia during your medical evaluation.If your movement symptoms do not occur frequently, you might consider taking a photo or a video that you can share when you go in for a medical visit.
During your evaluation, you can expect an examination of your muscle strength, tone, reflexes, and sensation. Often these other signs can help in determining the cause of your dystonia.
Sometimes diagnostic imaging tests are part of the assessment of focal dystonia.
This may include:
Tardive Dyskinesia vs. Dystonia: What Are the Differences?
There are severaltreatment options for dystonia. Sometimes a combination of treatments is necessary to treat ongoing dystonia and prevent worsening dystonia. The treatment is directed toward the cause and the symptoms.
Treatments can include:
You might need to continue some of these treatments for months or years, such as physical therapy or medication. Surgical procedures for treating focal dystonia aim to be curative and are not intended to be repeated.
The prognosis of focal dystonia varies, depending on the cause and severity. In general, new-onset dystonia treated shortly after the symptoms start is expected to have a better prognosis than dystonia that has been going on for years or longer.
Dystonia can often be effectively treated with long-term medication or surgery. However, some types of dystonia can be permanent and might not respond well to medication. For example, focal dystonia associated with congenital conditions, such as cerebral palsy, might not respond well to treatment.
Living with dystonia can be physically limiting, as well as stressful.You may notice a pattern of involuntary movements, or they may occur without predictability.
It can help to discuss the physical, emotional, and psychological impact that dystonia is having on your life with your healthcare providers. While it may be obvious that you should get treatment for the physical symptoms, it can also be beneficial for you to get professional guidance regarding the emotional and psychological effects.
You may need to seek accommodations at work if your focal dystonia is preventing you from doing certain tasks.
Summary
Focal dystonia is a type of movement disorder that causes involuntary muscle stiffening of one or a few parts of the body. This can occur intermittently, and it can be frequent or infrequent, depending on the underlying cause and situation.
Dystonia can be distressing, both physically and emotionally, and it’s important for you to seek support so that you can maintain your best physical function and quality of life as you manage your dystonia and the underlying cause.
6 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.Medina A, Nilles C, Martino D, Pelletier C, Pringsheim T.The prevalence of idiopathic or inherited isolated dystonia: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Mov Disord Clin Pract. 2022;9(7):860-868. doi:10.1002/mdc3.13524Horisawa S, Takeda N, Taira T.Watchmaker’s dystonia.Mov Disord Clin Pract. 2015;3(1):102-103. doi:10.1002/mdc3.12236Huertas-Hoyas E, Martínez-Piédrola RM, Sánchez-Herrera-Baeza P, et al.Alterations in dexterity and manual function in patients with focal hand dystonia.Neurologia (Engl Ed).2023;38(1):1-7. doi:10.1016/j.nrleng.2020.04.028Maezawa H, Hirata M, Yoshida K.Neurophysiological basis of deep brain stimulation and botulinum neurotoxin injection for treating oromandibular dystonia.Toxins (Basel). 2022;14(11):751. doi:10.3390/toxins14110751Hirato M, Miyagishima T, Takahashi A, Yoshimoto Y.Stereotactic selective thalamotomy for focal dystonia with aid of depth microrecording.World Neurosurg.2018;117:e349-e361. doi:10.1016/j.wneu.2018.06.033Tedroff K, Lidbeck C, Löwing K.Dystonia during hand activity in children with spastic unilateral cerebral palsy, an observational study.Eur J Paediatr Neurol.2022;41:36-40. doi:10.1016/j.ejpn.2022.06.015
6 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.Medina A, Nilles C, Martino D, Pelletier C, Pringsheim T.The prevalence of idiopathic or inherited isolated dystonia: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Mov Disord Clin Pract. 2022;9(7):860-868. doi:10.1002/mdc3.13524Horisawa S, Takeda N, Taira T.Watchmaker’s dystonia.Mov Disord Clin Pract. 2015;3(1):102-103. doi:10.1002/mdc3.12236Huertas-Hoyas E, Martínez-Piédrola RM, Sánchez-Herrera-Baeza P, et al.Alterations in dexterity and manual function in patients with focal hand dystonia.Neurologia (Engl Ed).2023;38(1):1-7. doi:10.1016/j.nrleng.2020.04.028Maezawa H, Hirata M, Yoshida K.Neurophysiological basis of deep brain stimulation and botulinum neurotoxin injection for treating oromandibular dystonia.Toxins (Basel). 2022;14(11):751. doi:10.3390/toxins14110751Hirato M, Miyagishima T, Takahashi A, Yoshimoto Y.Stereotactic selective thalamotomy for focal dystonia with aid of depth microrecording.World Neurosurg.2018;117:e349-e361. doi:10.1016/j.wneu.2018.06.033Tedroff K, Lidbeck C, Löwing K.Dystonia during hand activity in children with spastic unilateral cerebral palsy, an observational study.Eur J Paediatr Neurol.2022;41:36-40. doi:10.1016/j.ejpn.2022.06.015
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.
Medina A, Nilles C, Martino D, Pelletier C, Pringsheim T.The prevalence of idiopathic or inherited isolated dystonia: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Mov Disord Clin Pract. 2022;9(7):860-868. doi:10.1002/mdc3.13524Horisawa S, Takeda N, Taira T.Watchmaker’s dystonia.Mov Disord Clin Pract. 2015;3(1):102-103. doi:10.1002/mdc3.12236Huertas-Hoyas E, Martínez-Piédrola RM, Sánchez-Herrera-Baeza P, et al.Alterations in dexterity and manual function in patients with focal hand dystonia.Neurologia (Engl Ed).2023;38(1):1-7. doi:10.1016/j.nrleng.2020.04.028Maezawa H, Hirata M, Yoshida K.Neurophysiological basis of deep brain stimulation and botulinum neurotoxin injection for treating oromandibular dystonia.Toxins (Basel). 2022;14(11):751. doi:10.3390/toxins14110751Hirato M, Miyagishima T, Takahashi A, Yoshimoto Y.Stereotactic selective thalamotomy for focal dystonia with aid of depth microrecording.World Neurosurg.2018;117:e349-e361. doi:10.1016/j.wneu.2018.06.033Tedroff K, Lidbeck C, Löwing K.Dystonia during hand activity in children with spastic unilateral cerebral palsy, an observational study.Eur J Paediatr Neurol.2022;41:36-40. doi:10.1016/j.ejpn.2022.06.015
Medina A, Nilles C, Martino D, Pelletier C, Pringsheim T.The prevalence of idiopathic or inherited isolated dystonia: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Mov Disord Clin Pract. 2022;9(7):860-868. doi:10.1002/mdc3.13524
Horisawa S, Takeda N, Taira T.Watchmaker’s dystonia.Mov Disord Clin Pract. 2015;3(1):102-103. doi:10.1002/mdc3.12236
Huertas-Hoyas E, Martínez-Piédrola RM, Sánchez-Herrera-Baeza P, et al.Alterations in dexterity and manual function in patients with focal hand dystonia.Neurologia (Engl Ed).2023;38(1):1-7. doi:10.1016/j.nrleng.2020.04.028
Maezawa H, Hirata M, Yoshida K.Neurophysiological basis of deep brain stimulation and botulinum neurotoxin injection for treating oromandibular dystonia.Toxins (Basel). 2022;14(11):751. doi:10.3390/toxins14110751
Hirato M, Miyagishima T, Takahashi A, Yoshimoto Y.Stereotactic selective thalamotomy for focal dystonia with aid of depth microrecording.World Neurosurg.2018;117:e349-e361. doi:10.1016/j.wneu.2018.06.033
Tedroff K, Lidbeck C, Löwing K.Dystonia during hand activity in children with spastic unilateral cerebral palsy, an observational study.Eur J Paediatr Neurol.2022;41:36-40. doi:10.1016/j.ejpn.2022.06.015
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