Dystonia

Dystonia is defined by involuntary maintained contraction of agonist and antagonist muscles yielding abnormal posturing, twisting and repetitive movements, or tremulous and can be initiated or worsened by attempted movement. Dystonia is a dynamic disorder that changes in severity based on the activity and posture. Dystonia may assume a pattern of overextension or over-flexion of the hand, inversion of the foot, lateral flexion or retroflection of the head, torsion of the spine with arching and twisting of the back, forceful closure of the eyes, or a fixed grimace. It may come to an end when the body is in action and during sleep. Dystonia may vary greatly in severity and may show obvious fluctuations in individual patients. Severe cases result in grotesque and distorted movements. The degree of severity is variable. It is frequently unrecognized or misdiagnosed because of its variable course and abundant expression. Usually, people with dystonia can live a relatively normal lifestyle, while others need assistance with all activities of daily living.
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