Dr Marie-Helene Marion (neurologist), Mrs Linda Baker (secretary of the Kent group) and Ms Angie Brown (Dystonia Society representative)

Dr M-H Marion, neurologist, specialised in the treatment of dystonia, explains how dystonia is a source of disability, distress, anxiety and despair and what can be done to help.

Mr Dave Ward, Dr Marie-Helene Marion and Mrs Linda Baker (Kent dystonia society group)

Living with dystonia

Last Saturday I attended the Kent Dystonia society group meeting in Maidstone.  As the attendees had different types of focal dystonia, I chose to speak about living with dystonia in general, and how dystonia is a source of disability, distress, anxiety and despair and what can be done to help.

1-Dystonia is source of disability, related to the fact that the dystonic spasms are brought up by action and interfere with daily life activities. As soon as the patient with blepharospasm tries to watch TV or drives, his eyes close; the patient with jaw spasms has major difficulties chewing; the patients with neck dystonia, difficulties when walking, and looking in front of him; the patients with writer’s cramp when writing and the spasmodic dysphonia when speaking.

2-Dystonia is source of distress as the diagnosis of dystonia is often delayed.

The awareness of doctors is low for dystonia as it is a rare condition, but it is not the only reason to explain the difficulty for the diagnosis. The presentation is often disconcerting, with the presence of a “geste antagoniste” (for example, touching with one finger the cheek can control severe neck spasms) or a sensory trick (a gum kept in the mouth alleviates jaw spasms), the occurrence on specific tasks, the diversity of the symptoms depending of the site of the dystonia, and the existence of a stressful event prior to the onset of the symptoms. The natural history also is often disconcerting, by its capricious fluctuations with remission and worsening without clear reason.

3- Dystonia is source of anxiety as the patient try to understand what’s going to happen in the future. The patient has difficulties to understand the natural history of the disease: the spontaneous remissions, the dystonic storms, the risk of spread and to know what are the right expectations from the treatment.Doesthe treatment influence the course of the disease? What I should do in my daily life to get better?

4- Dystonia is source of despair as getting the right treatment is often an obstacle course.  In particular it can be challenging to find a specialist in dystonia and a Botulinum toxin service, which perform EMG guided injections into deep muscles, like the jaw muscles, the vocal cords or the forearm muscles. Do I need to see a neurologist, an ENT specialist, an ophthalmologist for the Botox injections??

The diversity of the response to treatment is also frustrating and the Botox injections have a trial and error process before finding the right dose for each individual. The patient needs to understand the therapeutic strategy, such as the role of the drugs, of the Botox injections, of the surgery and of the self-healing process (relaxation, physical exercises).

 Can we help dystonic patients to face all these challenges? 

One of the main answer for me is that the patient needs to become actor of his treatment.

Clear information has to be available for the patient: Every patient with focal dystonia in a way is unique, in the type of spasms and in the response to treatment. The patient needs to be well informed.  A better knowledge of the expected benefit and of the possible side effects from the patient will help the doctor to adjust the dosages of the anticholinergic drugs and of the Botulinum toxin.

The level of anxiety will decrease, as the patient will be able to anticipate and influence the progression of the dystonia by physical exercises, and by adjusting daily life activities to his ability.

What is available now in UK?

 1-The Dystonia Society UK www.dystonia.org.uk  has used the modern technology to reach a large population. Google advertising, new website, forum discussion, page on Facebook (Dystonia society UK), Twitter @dystonia society.. very soon there will be no more excuses to not know the word dystonia!!

2-Myself, as a neurologist specialised in dystonia, have developed this blog, www.infodystonia.com, to share my experience in treating dystonic patients over the last 25 years. For the healthcare profession, I have founded the British Neurotoxin Network (BNN) www.neurotoxinnetwork.org to gather all the clinicians involved in the Botox treatment of dystonia in UK for sharing information, techniques and new developments. The British Neurotoxin Network  (BNN) website, also hosts UK service maps www.neurotoxinnetwork.org/botox-treatment-centres.php to localise easily by the patients or the doctors where is the most appropriate centre for treatment.

I am also organising workshops and master class to share knowledge and skills with my colleagues who want to be involved in the care of dystonia.

3-The patients also are working hard to go forward in the best care for dystonia in organizing local support groups, like the Kent group under the umbrella of the Dystonia Society. The list of all these groups in UK are available on the Dystonia society website.

Thank you to Linda Baker and Dave Ward to organize this very well attended and stimulating meeting at Maidstone.

When meeting dystonic patients, it come to my mind  that the British Motto: “Be calm and carry on” is what most of the patients have courageously chosen when living with dystonia.