What is rigid person syndrome, the disease that affects Celine Dion

Singer, Celine Dion announced in December 2022 in an Instagram video the cancellation of some presentations because he was diagnosed with this condition. Months later, in May 2023, the singer completely canceled her tour “Courage World Tour” saying: “I’m so sorry to disappoint you all once again, I am working very hard to regain my strength., but touring can be very difficult even when you are at 100%. “Dion explained when canceling her 2023-2024 tour.

Her sister, Claudette Dion, has been giving updates on Celine’s health these months and, In a recent conversation with the magazine 7 days, He assured that the singer “lost control of her muscles.”

What is Rigid Person Syndrome?

He stiff person syndrome it is characterized by muscle stiffness and spasmsincreased sensitivity to stimuli such as sound and lights, and emotional distress that can cause muscle spasms, depending on the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

“It is often associated with muscle spasms, which can be quite severe. These can cause falls, severe pain and significant disability,” said the Dr. Emile Sami Moukheiber from the Stiff Person Syndrome Center at Johns Hopkins Medicine. “Falls due to severe spasms are very common. These spasms can be precipitated by startles, severe emotions, cold weather.”

These spasms may be sufficiently strong enough to break a bone and any fall can cause serious injuries.

What causes stiff person syndrome

Although the exact cause is not clear, according to the institute National Neurological Disorders and Stroke“people with SPS have elevated levels of GAD, an antibody that acts against an enzyme involved in the synthesis of an important neurotransmitter in the brain.”

Due to theThe rarity of the disease and the ambiguity of its symptoms, people often seek care for chronic pain before receiving neurological care. On average, it takes about seven years for someone to receive a diagnosis of stiff person syndrome, Newsome says.

“Sometimes, [los pacientes] They are labeled crazy” he said, “because on initial examination, there are no distinguishing features of stiff person syndrome.”

How stiff person syndrome is treated

There is no known cure for stiff person syndrome, but medications can relieve symptoms. Immunoglobulin medications can help reduce sensitivity to light or sound triggers, which could help prevent falls or spasms.

The analgesics, anxiolytics and muscle relaxants they can be part of the treatment of this disease. The Stiff Person Syndrome Center also uses botulinum toxin injections. “If left untreated, the disease can cause serious impairment of daily life,” Moukheiber said.

But with treatment, symptoms can be controlled.

Celine Dion spoke about her illness

Dion said in a video thate spasms affect “every aspect” of her daily life, “sometimes causing difficulties when I walk and not allowing me to use my vocal cords to sing in the way I’m used to.”

“I am working hard with my sports medicine therapist every day to regain my strength and my ability to perform again,” he said. “But I have to admit it has been a struggle.”

How the progression of the disease affects the patient

“We can’t find any medicine that works, but having hope is important. “She is listening to the best researchers in the field of this rare disease and will do so as much as possible,” Celine Dion’s sister said in an interview in August.

For patients in advanced stages of the pathology it is very difficult to fall asleep at night, they may also have difficulty walk either talk. “It is a disease about which we know very little. The spasms are impossible to control. You know that people often jump up at night because of a cramp in their leg or calf. It’s a little like that, but in all the muscles. There is little we can do to support her and ease her pain.“, described the artist’s sister to the magazine Hello!.

In this sense, experts from the NIH They point out that in some patients, symptoms resolve with treatment, or the sequelae of the neurological disorder only affect a particular area of ​​the body.

In the more severe cases“symptoms may progress and include facial muscles and some of the muscles of the body may be constantly rigid. The progression of symptoms related to the syndrome results in frequent fallswhich can be dangerous.”