Dystonia – Are There Any Treatment Options? - Dr. Shivam Mittal

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Dystonia - Are There Any Treatment Option? Dr.
Shivam Mittal
The uncontrollable involuntary contractions and
tremors caused during dystonia can be really
frustrating, and may also interfere with the
quality of life, by making it difficult to
perform even the simplest of tasks like eating,
dressing up, typing, or even walking. Those
living with it can understand the pain, which is
why it is recommended to identify the symptoms
at the earliest and treat them, before they
start interfering with your everyday tasks.
What is dystonia? Dystonia causes the muscles to
contract involuntarily, leading to uncontrolled
repetitive twisting motions in one or more parts
of the body. Muscle spasms can be mild or
severe, depending upon the individual and his
health condition. Why it occurs is yet unknown,
but the cause behind it is the miscommunication
between the nerve cells of the brain. While any
person could suffer from dystonia, those who
have the disorder running in the family are more
at risk to have it. Also, those who suffer from
other disorders like Parkinsons disease or
traumatic brain injury are more prone to have
dystonia in the future.
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How to identify dystonia? If you are encountering
any such uncontrolled involuntary movements, you
may be a patient of dystonia. The initial
symptoms could be first observed in the arms,
legs, or neck. The symptoms may first be seen
occasionally while performing only certain tasks,
but if left untreated, they may worsen to occur
almost throughout the day. Also, the symptoms
may worsen when youre tired, anxious, or
stressed out.

• Can dystonia be treated?
• Although there is no permanent cure for dystonia,
  because the reason for the disorder is yet not
  known, there are treatment options available
  that can help manage and control the symptoms.
  This treatment includes
• Medications When the dystonia is mild, the
  medications can be started to look for any
  relief such as trihexyphenidyl (Artane),
  Baclofen, clonazepam and other. Usually these
  medications help to some degree but does not
  provide significant improvement. At higher
  doses, patients experience side-effects with the
  medications which limits their use in clinical
  practice.
• Botulinum toxin injections or BOTOX injections or
  Chemodenervation treatment This is the best
  treatment which is available for dystonia
  presently. If the symptoms are limited to one
  region such as the neck or hand or leg, then
  botulinum toxin injections in the muscle helps to
  relax it and improve the dystonia. Again the
  injections needs to be performed by a movement
  disorder neurologist who is trained in
  identifying the muscle using the EMG machine

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and is experienced with the botulinum toxin
injections. The effect of botox in temporary and
usually works for 3 months. The effect can last
longer or shorter in few patients. 3. Deep Brain
Stimulation In patients who have genetic
dystonia which is involving the entire body or
generalized dystonia, Deep brain stimulation is
a very effective treatment. This is an invasive
surgery that requires the implantation of a
neurotransmitter within the chest, and
electrodes into the brain, both connected with
the help of extension wires. The battery-powered
neurotransmitter emits electrical charges of
energy to the brain to control the involuntary
movements. This is provided by selective centers
in the world who have the expertise of movement
disorder neurologist, functional neurosurgeon and
multi- disciplinary team. You need to have
regular follow-up with the movement disorder
neurologist for the DBS programming to further
optimize the dystonia symptoms. When you
approach a specialist like Dr. Shivam Mittal for
dystonia treatment in UAE, your symptoms will
first be diagnosed. Then, a variety of tests
will be conducted to identify abnormalities in
the brain that may be causing the symptoms.
These may include MRI, CT scan, or PET scan. Only
once your condition is confirmed to be of
dystonia, will you be given the required
medications or surgery. For more information,
visit https//www.parkinsonsdiseasespecialist.com
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