What is dystonia?

Muscle contractions: Dystonia is a disorder where involuntary muscle contractions result in slow repetitive movements or abnormal postures. It can effect individual muscles, groups of muscles or the muscles throughout the body.

Functional Spasm: An abnormal tightening and shortening of a muscle causing a misalignment of peripheral joint or spine, with or without pain, typically related to neurological basis.

Dystonia?: Dystonia is a condition where the brain causes abnormal contraction of the muscles of the body. Dystonia can be focal occurring in the neck, hand (writers cramp), arm, leg, abdomen, face, etc. Dystonia can also be generalized and genetic affecting the entire body. Muscles send sensory information to the brain and the brain sends the wrong signal back to the muscle (Sensory-Motor Integration).

Movement disorder: Dystonia is a movement disorder, in which sustained muscle contractions cause twisting and repetitive movements or abnormal postures. Dystonia can be hereditary or caused by other factors such as medication , birth-related, physical trauma, or even certain infections. In some cases dystonia can be spontaneous with no known cause.