Dystonia Education
This unique resource is designed to educate newly diagnosed patients and the general public about Dystonia. The videos answer important questions about the disease itself, treatment options, and emerging research. Dr. Kumar is a movement disorders specialist and clinical expert on movement disorders. He also serves as Medical Director for the Rocky Mountain Movement Disorders Center.
What is Cervical Dystonia?
Cervical Dystonia is characterized by abnormal head and neck postures. These occur due to involuntary, sustained, or repetitive neck muscle contractions.
Characteristics and Causes
When cervical dystonia remains focal and does not involve other areas of the body, it is generally idiopathic; meaning we do not know the underlying cause.
General Treatment Options
Treatment is aimed at reducing symptoms and as a result improving quality of life. The first goal is usually to improve the abnormal head position and jerky movements of the head and neck.
What is Blepharospasm?
Blepharospasm is a focal dystonia characterized by repetitive, sustained contractions of the muscles around the eyes and eyebrows. This results in involuntary eye closure.
Treatment of Cervical Dystonia
Since pain occurs in the majority of patients with cervical dystonia and reduction of these abnormal movements and reduction of muscle spasm can easily substantially improve pain.
Deep Brain Stimulation for Dystonia (part 1)
Deep brain stimulation refers to implanting electrodes into specific areas of the brain and hooking the electrodes up to pacemaker-like devices in order to send signals into the brain to jam the abnormal firing of brain cells, which are part of the network causing the abnormal movements.
Deep Brain Stimulation for Dystonia (part 2)
Deep brain stimulation is used in a variety of movement disorders including Parkinson’s disease, essential tremor, and Tourette’s syndrome and may be used in other neurologic disorders including chronic pain syndromes and psychiatric disorders such as refractory depression.
What is Cervical Dystonia?
Cervical Dystonia is characterized by abnormal head and neck postures. These occur due to involuntary, sustained, or repetitive neck muscle contractions.
Characteristics and Causes
When cervical dystonia remains focal and does not involve other areas of the body, it is generally idiopathic; meaning we do not know the underlying cause.
General Treatment Options
Treatment is aimed at reducing symptoms and as a result improving quality of life. The first goal is usually to improve the abnormal head position and jerky movements of the head and neck.
What is Blepharospasm?
Blepharospasm is a focal dystonia characterized by repetitive, sustained contractions of the muscles around the eyes and eyebrows. This results in involuntary eye closure.
What is Hemifacial Spasm?
Involuntary twitching movement of facial muscles due to compression of the facial nerve.
Treatment of Cervical Dystonia
Since pain occurs in the majority of patients with cervical dystonia and reduction of these abnormal movements and reduction of muscle spasm can easily substantially improve pain.
Deep Brain Stimulation (part 1)
Deep brain stimulation refers to implanting electrodes into specific areas of the brain and hooking the electrodes up to pacemaker-like devices in order to send signals into the brain to jam the abnormal firing of brain cells, which are part of the network causing the abnormal movements.
Deep Brain Stimulation (part 2)
Deep brain stimulation is used in a variety of movement disorders including Parkinson’s disease, essential tremor, and Tourette’s syndrome and may be used in other neurologic disorders including chronic pain syndromes and psychiatric disorders such as refractory depression.