Do you know what are the various cervical dystonia symptoms or what are the various signs that a person is suffering from this particular disorder? This article will give you all the information that you need about this cervical problem.
The cervical dystonia is a chronic and painful neurological disorder, where the muscles of the neck undergo involuntary contraction or muscle spasms. Cervical dystonia is also referred to as spasmodic torticollis, which is a rare disease or disorder, and it generally occurs in middle aged women, but sometimes it might occur in infants and children as well. What happens in this case is that the patient has no control over a certain part of his or her body, and the neck undergoes an involuntary movement from up, down, left and the right side. If one knows what are the various cervical dystonia symptoms, then one can start off with the treatment immediately, before matters go out of hand and the situation becomes more painful.
Causes
Doctors are still trying to figure out the exact cause(s) of cervical dystonia, while some say that it may occur due to some other kind of disease or disorder. The muscles of the neck undergo an abnormal twisting, squeezing and muscle contraction, and this might often lead to abnormal positions of the neck and head. Sometimes, excessive brain input can also lead to this kind of a disorder. An accident or trauma can also lead to spasmodic torticollis.
Symptoms
The signs and symptoms might vary from one person to another. It usually occurs in women above the age group of 40 years, but people from other age groups are also prone to this neurological disorder and the chances of women suffering from this problem is more than that of men. When the disorder strikes for the first time, the symptoms are usually mild but with time, as the conditions starts worsening, the pain and spasms also increases. Here are some of the common symptoms.
- Severe Pain: It can really become a ‘pain in the neck’. Severe neck pain is one of the most important symptoms of this problem. This pain might be a discomfort specially when it gradually increases over time. Sometimes, due to the severe pain, the patient may also suffer from severe headache.
- Muscle Spasms and Rotation of Head: Muscle spasms is another important symptom. This usually occurs in the neck and due to this, the neck flexes to one side and the head rotates in the opposite direction. The spasms here in the neck muscles can either be constant or repeat at certain intervals.
- Swelling: Another way of finding out whether the patient is suffering from this disorder is by the swelling of the muscles on the neck. Due to the twisting and squeezing of muscles, they sometimes tend to swell up.
- Dysarthria: This is a motor speech disorder which occurs due to neurological injury or trauma. What happens in this case is that the patient finds it difficult to speak as they lose control either over their tongue or throat or lips and sometimes even the lungs.
- Vibrations: Vibration of the neck muscles is another symptom. Depending on the severity of the disorder, the muscles in the head might also start vibrating.
Most of the people suffering from this disorder complain that neck pain is the first symptom of this disorder. If you or anyone else is showing any of the signs and symptoms of this disorder, then one should visit the doctor immediately before matters start going out of hand. There are several cervical dystonia treatments that can be helpful, depending on the case. There are several injections or physical therapy which will help you ease the pain and relax the muscles. Till then, make sure that you do not exert too much stress on your neck.
