HELP WITH DYSTONIA
– a lack of tonicity in a tissue, often referring to the muscles.
Could you please suggest exercises that will help with the daily bouts I get of dystonia in my abdominal muscles. When I get them my abdominal wall muscles contract tightly and painfully (as though I was preparing myself for someone throwing a punch), and I can hardly move, and even talking or sitting in a chair are difficult.
The dystonia usually occurs when my PD medication is wearing off, or can be started by just bending over to pick up something, or, for example, bending over the sink to clean my teeth. I would like to know whether there are exercises I can do on a regular basis to avert the dystonia, and whether there is an exercise or posture I could use to reduce the severity of a bout when it does occur.
o Dystonia can be relieved by stretching the affected part for 2 minutes.
o You could lie down and stretch both arms above your head with both legs straight, pointing your toes away from you (but if you have pain in the lower back you will need a pillow under your knees).
o Hold this position for 2 minutes then relax.
o You can repeat this exercise a couple more times if the dystonia is still present.
o If it is not possible to lie down (perhaps if you are out), then stand with your back against a wall and stretch both arms above your head and hold this position.
o If the dystonia is too severe to allow this position, then only stretch as far you are able.o
o When you need to pick something up off the floor, try to bend your knees, keeping your back straight rather than bending at the hips, as this might prevent the dystonia occurring.
o Sitting on a stool to brush your teeth rather than standing might also help.
o You could discuss your medication with the PD nurse or consultant if your PD medication is wearing off frequently as this could alleviate the problem
Help with cramping in the feet.
Is there anything that physiotherapy can do to alleviate this?
Foot cramps are likely to be dystonia which, like cramp, is painful and can put the ankle/foot and toes into unusual positions. It is important to consider why you may be experiencing dystonia at night – it may be related to your PD medication.
Keep a diary of the frequency and timing of your symptoms and discuss this with your nurse or specialist so that any medication changes necessary can be made. This may resolve your problem in the long term.
o Something that can help short term is to apply prolonged stretches of the affected part for two minutes.
o Hold your foot, ankle or toes (whichever is most affected), in the neutral (how it would be if it were relaxed) position and then apply a stretch.
o Hold this position and the stretch for 2 minutes then relax. You can repeat this process if necessary.
----------------------------------- -------------------------------- ----------------------------------
Tremor is most commonly classified by its appearance and cause or origin.
Dystonic tremor
Occurs in individuals of all ages who are affected by dystonia, a movement disorder in which sustained involuntary muscle contractions cause twisting and repetitive motions and/or painful and abnormal postures or positions, such as twisting of the neck (torticollis) or writer’s cramp.
Dystonic tremor may affect any muscle in the body and is seen most often when the patient is in a certain position or moves a certain way.
The pattern of dystonic tremor may differ from essential tremor.
Dystonic tremors occur irregularly and often can be relieved by complete rest. Touching the affected body part or muscle may reduce tremor severity. The tremor may be the initial sign of dystonia localized to a particular part of the body.
Cerebellar tremor is a slow tremor of the extremities that occurs at the end of a purposeful movement (intention tremor), such as trying to press a button or touching a finger to the tip of one’s nose. Cerebellar tremor is caused by lesions in or damage to the cerebellum resulting from stroke, tumor, or disease such as multiple sclerosis or some inherited degenerative disorder. It can also result from chronic alcoholism or overuse of some medicines.
In classic cerebellar tremor, a lesion on one side of the brain produces a tremor in that same side of the body that worsens with directed movement. Cerebellar damage can also produce a “wing-beating” type of tremor called rubral or Holmes’ tremor — a combination of rest, action, and postural tremors. The tremor is often most prominent when the affected person is active or is maintaining a particular posture. Cerebellar tremor may be accompanied by dysarthria (speech problems), nystagmus (rapid involuntary movements of the eyes), gait problems, and postural tremor of the trunk and neck.
We are extremely grateful to Parkinsons Resource to learn more about the Different Categories of Tremor:
January 31, 2017
http://www.parkinsonsresource.org/education/the-different-categories-of-tremor/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=Different%20Categories%20of%20Tremor%20Link&utm_campaign=February%202017%20Newsletter%20