What is stiff person syndrome? Céline Dion reveals rare diagnosis
- Céline Dion revealed that she’s been diagnosed with stiff person syndrome on Thursday.
- Stiff person syndrome is a very rare neurological disorder that causes progressive muscle stiffness and painful spasms.
In a video posted Thursday addressing the future of her world tour, Céline Dion shared she’s been diagnosed with stiff person syndrome.
The Canadian singer said the rare neurological disorder is what has been causing her to have severe muscle spasms, affecting her ability to walk and sing. The diagnosis means that she will have to postpone much of her tour, as well as cancel some shows.
“The spasms affect every aspect of my daily life, sometimes causing difficulties when I walk and not allowing me to use my vocal cords to sing the way I’m used to,” Dion said in the video posted on Instagram. “I have to admit it’s been a struggle. All I know is singing, it’s what I’ve done all my life.”
Dion said she needs to focus on her health now and is working with “a great team of doctors.” She said she hopes to perform again in the future.
Stiff person syndrome is a rare neurological disorder that affects one or two in a million people, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. The disease notably causes progressive muscle stiffness and painful spasms. Treatments focus on relieving symptoms.
Céline Dion’s announcement:Singer says she has stiff person syndrome, cancels and reschedules 2023 tour dates
“It’s a disease that’s characterized by progressive muscle stiffness, muscle spasms, rigidity – typically in the muscles of the back, specifically the lower back, as well as the upper legs,” Dr. Kunal Desai, a Yale Medicine neurologist and assistant professor of neurology who specializes in neuromuscular disease, told USA TODAY.
“It can affect other muscles, including muscles in the arms as well as speaking and swallowing muscles,” he said. “But that’s less common.”
Here’s what you need to know.
What is stiff person syndrome?
Stiff person syndrome, or SPS, is a rare “neurological disorder with features of an autoimmune disease,” the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke notes.
The disease causes “progressive muscle stiffness and painful spasms” that can be triggered by environmental factors such as “sudden movement, cold temperature or unexpected loud noises,” Johns Hopkins Medicine said.
With extreme muscle spasms, “the muscles can feel tight as a rock. So, it can be very, very uncomfortable and painful,” Desai said, adding that other stimuli that can provoke these spasms sometimes include touching the muscles, “certain subtle movements” and stress.
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What are the symptoms of SPS?
Prominent SPS symptoms include muscle stiffening and painful muscle spasms that can be provoked by emotional stress or, again, outside stimuli. It’s possible for these spasms to be “so severe that they cause the person to fall down,” Yale Medicine says.
“We all have muscle spasms, but these are muscle spasms that are beyond your control to the point that muscles lock and are so rigid. There’s truncal dystonia,” Dr. Robert Wilson, a neurologist and the director of…
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