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Cervical Dystonia Symptoms

Cervical dystonia (CD), also known as torticollis or spasmodic torticollis, is a rare neurological disorder in which the muscles of the neck contract or spasm involuntarily. This can cause the head to tilt to the left, right, forward or backward. Although it is a rare condition, CD is the most widely seen of the focal dystonias, those that are limited to a specific part of the body.

  1. Symptoms

    • The Movement Disorder Virtual University website states that the muscle spasms or contractions of CD can trigger jerky head movements. More often, however, they result in sustained or periodic dystonic posturing, in which the head is positioned unnaturally. The most common form of posturing is rotational CD, in which the head is moved unnaturally laterally or sideways. Another common symptom of CD is tilting of the head. When the head is flexed, turned or twisted sideways, the disorder is called lateral torticollis or laterocollis. A tilting of the head to the front (anterocollis) or back (retrocollis) is seen less often. Other symptoms include neck pain, hand or arm tremors and shoulder elevation.

    Complications

    • The Mayo Clinic states that one of the more serious complications of CD is permanent nerve damage caused by the sustained muscle contractions of the disorder. Other complications may include the spread of symptoms to the jaw, face, trunk or arms and depression triggered by the pain and disability of CD.

    Causes

    • Medical researchers believe that CD's spasms and contractions may stem from "a defect in the brain's ability to process chemical messages that allow brain cells to communicate with each other," according to the Mayo Clinic. The disorder also may be linked to damage caused by injuries to the neck, head or shoulder; brain or spinal cord tumors; strokes; toxins, such as carbon monoxide and heavy metals; and drugs, including some antidepressants, antipsychotics and anti-nausea medications.

    High-Risk Groups

    • The Mayo Clinic states that CD is most likely to show up in women, who are diagnosed with the disorder almost twice as often as men; people between the ages of 40 and 60; and those with a family history of CD or other forms of dystonia.

    Treatment

    • There is no cure for CD, so treatments are designed to provide relief from the disorder's symptoms. The most widely prescribed treatment methods include physical therapy and medications, including injections of Botulinum toxin, which is also marketed as Botox, into the affected neck muscles; anti-tremor medications such as those prescribed for Parkinson's disease; and muscle relaxants. In extreme cases, doctors may suggest surgical options. These include the implantation of a pacemaker-like device to provide electrical stimulation of the brain or surgery to cut the muscles or nerves responsible for the patient's specific form of CD posturing.

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