Stiff-person syndrome

Stiff-person syndrome, which has forced Canadian superstar singer Celine Dion to postpone her European tour, is a very rare neurological condition that ...

The singer repeatedly postponed performances in the past year because of severe muscle spasms. In a tearful Instagram post, she revealed she has been ...

"Unfortunately, the spasms affect every aspect of my daily life, sometimes causing difficulties when I walk and not allowing me to use my vocal cords to sing ...

Singer Celine Dion has revealed she has been diagnosed with a rare neurological disorder that left her unable to perform.

The rare neurological disorder comes with such violent muscle spasms that "they can dislocate joints and even break bones." Here's what to know.

Those with stiff-person syndrome also often take "several anti-convulsants," including gabapentin and tiagabine, the institute said. are believed to have the disorder, according to the Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center. Many people are "afraid to leave the house," the institute adds, "because street noises, such as the sound of a horn can trigger spasms and falls," its researchers say. But researchers believe it could be caused instead by an "awry" bodily response in the brain and spinal cord. The illness causes the body to become rigid and more sensitive to noise, touch and emotional distress. However, little is known about it.

In an emotional Instagram video post, the singer opened up about her rare neurological disorder—forcing her to postpone her Europe tour.

“This is my focus, and I’m doing everything that I can to recuperate.” “I have a great team of doctors working alongside me to help me get better and my precious children who are supporting me and giving me hope,” she says. It’s what I’ve done all my life, and it’s what I love to do the most.” Dion was diagnosed with stiff person syndrome that affects “something like one in a million people,” she says to her fans. “I have to admit, it’s been a struggle,” she says in the video message. In a tearful message on her Instagram, the “My Heart Will Go On” artist says she has to postpone her Europe tour dates set for 2023.

“Unfortunately, these spasms affect every aspect of my daily life, sometimes causing difficulties when I walk and not allowing me to use my vocal cords to sing ...

“This means a lot to me,” Dion concluded her message tearfully. “This is my focus.” “But I have to admit it’s been a struggle.” “Unfortunately, these spasms affect every aspect of my daily life, sometimes causing difficulties when I walk and not allowing me to use my vocal cords to sing the way I’m used to.” “Spasms can generate enough force to fracture bone.” “I miss seeing all of you, being on the stage, performing for you.

Celine Dion's diagnosis with stiff-person syndrome has called attention to the rare disorder, which causes muscle spams and rigidity in the torso and limbs.

Stiff person syndrome is a rare neurological condition that can take years to diagnose and tailor treatment.

Dr. Scott Newsom, director of the Stiff-Person Syndrome Center at Johns Hopkins, explains the rare condition keeping Celine Dion off the stage.

Just as there’s no definitely-known cause for SPS, there’s also no definitive cure — though Newsome hopes that by identifying “the main start of the disease within the immune system, we can then develop more targeted treatments.” Still, there are ways to treat SPS and alleviate symptoms, with Newsome suggesting a multi-faceted approach is ideal. Even still, Newsome calls it a “non-biased condition,” saying he’s seen it pop up in young children, as well as people in their 70s and 80s. Blood tests can be done, and there is an antibody (GAD65) that frequently shows up in people with SPS; but even that’s only a tell if GAD65 antibody levels are extremely high and appear in the right clinical context. MRIs, CAT scans, and lumbar punctures can be useful in diagnosing SPS too, as well as electromyography (EMG) studies to examine how the muscles are behaving. People can live with this disease.” We can see that on an EMG.” [her Las Vegas residency](https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/resorts-world-vegas-residency-celine-dion-katy-perry-1167437/) last fall, she cited “severe and persistent muscle spasms.” The same issue forced her to cancel her North American tour in Jan. It’s a really difficult and disabling disease.” (Dion did not say whether she was experiencing such triggered spasms, though as a musician, she is frequently surrounded by loud noises.) The classic symptoms described then — and which remain prevalent today — are muscular-skeletal, spanning from spasms to a fixed spine curvature deformity called hyperlordosis. There’s even partial SPS, where symptoms might be experienced in just a single limb. She pushed her 2022 tour to 2023, and then on Thursday [announced that those European dates](https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/celine-dion-stiff-person-syndrome-diagnosis-postpones-spring-2023-tour-1234643733/) would have to be postponed too due to an exceptionally rare neurological condition called stiff-person syndrome. “And they can be continuous for minutes to hours.

Celine Dion canceled her upcoming tour after being diagnosed with this rare neurological condition. Here's what we know.

Because of how rare it is, stiff person syndrome is typically diagnosed by first ruling out other, more common conditions. The treatment for the condition is often a patchwork of medication and non-medication interventions, Dr. Diagnosing the condition takes a combination of tools, Dr. The rigidity and spasming can be treated with muscle relaxers and Botox injections. The presence of the chronic pain can also lead some patients to [develop anxiety](https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11940-009-0013-9), depression and [phobias](https://n.neurology.org/content/64/11/1961.short) of going outside or trying new activities. There is no cure for stiff person syndrome, so doctors focus on symptom and pain management. The muscle spasms can be triggered by a variety of environmental factors, such as The exact cause of the condition is not clear, but “the immune system is involved,” said Dr. Stiff person syndrome often begins with stiffness in the torso and abdomen, which can then spread to the legs, arms and face, Dr. The syndrome is difficult to diagnose, Dr. [have been tied to](https://www.yalemedicine.org/conditions/stiff-person-syndrome) a slight increase in risk for developing the syndrome, Dr. It was first coined in the 1920s (as “stiff man syndrome”) after doctors

The condition impacts the brain and spinal cord, and Dion says it has affected her vocal cords and interfered with her ability to sing.

“I always give a hundred percent when I do my shows, but my condition is not allowing me to give you that right now.” In addition, some people may take anti-seizure medicines, anti-inflammatories, or [corticosteroids](/corticosteroids/guide/) to reduce pain. But the progression of symptoms isn’t linear, and the severity and frequency of symptoms vary from one patient to the next. But she did say her path to recovery has been challenging. GABA regulates motor neurons that control movement throughout the body, and when there’s not enough of this protein, the nervous system can shift to overdrive and interfere with normal movement. Treatment instead focuses on symptom management and minimizing disability related to the condition. People tend to go through repeated cycles where the condition worsens and then improves, according to NORD. [National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD)](https://rarediseases.org/rare-diseases/stiff-person-syndrome/). “As you know, I’ve always been an open book, and I wasn’t ready to say anything before, but I’m ready now,” Dion said in the video. The condition is also more common in people with [autoimmune diseases](https://www.everydayhealth.com/autoimmune-diseases/all-articles/) such as [rheumatoid arthritis](/rheumatoid-arthritis/guide/) and [lupus](/lupus/). “Recently, I’ve been diagnosed with a very rare neurological disorder called the stiff-person syndrome, which affects something like one in a million people,” Dion continued. [benzodiazepines](https://www.everydayhealth.com/sleep-disorders/xanax-valium-benzodiazepines-prescribed-for-sleep-disorders-raise-overdose-risk/) — such as [diazepam](/drugs/diazepam) and [clonazepam](/drugs/clonazepam) — or the muscle relaxant [baclofen](/drugs/baclofen) to reduce muscle stiffness and spasms, according to the [Cleveland Clinic](https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/6076-stiff-person-syndrome).