If you don’t have dystonia, it’s likely you haven’t heard of it, even though it’s the third most common movement disorder and a symptom of Parkinson’s disease.
“Dystonia is an involuntary muscle contraction that results in an abnormal sustained posture, sometimes a twisting, turning movement. It can be very painful for people,” says Rachel Dolhun, MD, a movement disorder specialist on staff here at MJFF.
Watch our webinar on dystonia.
“I experienced pulling in my neck, and my neck was bending over to the right. I figured it would go away, but it took me six long years before it was properly diagnosed,” says Bonnie Strauss.
Strauss started The Bachmann-Strauss Dystonia & Parkinson Foundation to raise awareness of her disorder and Parkinson’s, with which both her mother and grandmother were diagnosed. That Foundation and MJFF announced a collaborative research alliance in September to raise awareness and deepen investment in advancing dystonia and Parkinson’s research.
Learn more about dystonia from our October webinar. MJFF Contributing Editor Dave Iverson moderated a conversation with panelists with primary dystonia and with dystonia and Parkinson’s disease. W. Lawrence Severt, MD, PhD, from Mount Sinai Beth Israel discussed what we know about dystonia and how it’s treated.
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