What are the symptoms of dystonia?
Symptoms of dystonia can range from being very mild to being severe. Dystonia can affect different body parts, and often the symptoms of dystonia progress through stages. Some early symptoms include: • a “dragging leg” • cramping of the foot • involuntary pulling of the neck • uncontrollable blinking • speech difficulties Stress or fatigue may bring on the symptoms or cause them to worsen. People with dystonia often complain of pain and exhaustion because of the constant muscle contractions. If dystonia symptoms occur in childhood, they generally appear first in the foot or hand. But then they quickly progress to the rest of the body. After adolescence, though, the progression rate tends to slow down. When dystonia appears in early adulthood, it typically begins in the upper body. Then there is a slow progression of symptoms. Dystonias that start in early adulthood tends to remain focal or segmental. Focal dystonias affect just one part of the body. Segmental dystonias affect two or mo
