What is stiff-person syndrome: the strange illness that Céline Dion suffers from

Celine Dionone of the most successful and respected singers in the world, performed at the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Her performance was surprising for attendees and viewers around the world, as the Canadian is going through a tough time. disease that was diagnosed in 2022: stiff person syndrome (SPS).

His performance took place after the traditional lighting of the Olympic cauldron carried out by various athletes such as Zinedine Zidane, Amélie Mauresmo, Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams, among others.

The singer of “My Heart Will Go On” of the movie “Titanic”had already participated in the opening of the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games. Although there were rumors about his possible presence, it was something that could not be assured until the last moment, since the illness he is suffering from could have prevented him from doing so.

Celine Dion was diagnosed with stiff person syndrome in 2022a disease that he showed to the public in his recent documentary “I am: Celine Dion”where it appears shaken by spasms, overcome by pain, in the midst of a crisis. The raw footage that quickly went viral around the world had begun to spark rumours about whether it was possible for her to perform live again at some point.

His last appearance In public, it wasn’t to sing, but rather to present the “Best Album” category at the last edition of the Grammys. This happened in February, when she presented the award to Taylor Swift for her album “Midnights”.

What is stiff person syndrome?

Stiff person syndrome is a disease whose main characteristic is episodes of stiffness and spasms of the muscles of the trunk and of the arms and legs.

According to him National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NIH) This is caused by a Increased sensitivity to noise, touch, and as a startle responseLikewise, those who suffer from this syndrome may adopt abnormal postures and it affects women more than men.

Although it is not known for certain, it is believed to be a autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks its own central nervous system, and is associated with other diseases of the same type such as vitiligo and diabetes.

What are the symptoms of stiff person syndrome?

The symptoms They begin between 30 and 60 years of age and may include:

• Abnormal postures such as slouching.
• Episodes of muscle stiffness and spasms that occur due to increased sensitivity to noise, touch, and as a startle response.
• Falls due to muscle spasms and stiffness when people with the disease are walking or standing.
• Cerebral palsy.
• Epilepsy.
• Depression and anxiety (this may be because the disease affects your daily activities or because the cause of the syndrome is related to the low level of neurotransmitters, which regulate a person’s mood).

Can stiff person syndrome be cured?

This syndrome There is no curebut yes a treatmentwhich must be met to prevent the patient’s health from deteriorating.

Treatment is usually specific according to the symptoms sufferedbut usually consists of benzodiazepines, diazepam, or baclofen to treat muscle stiffness and spasms.

Another alternative is the physical and occupational therapywhich can help delay the progression of the disease, but must be carried out by a professional who has experience with the disease so as not to worsen the symptoms.

How Celine Dion deals with her illness

Céline Dion gave a raw account of how she goes through the disease, in which she highlighted that Singing now is like someone is strangling herwhich makes it difficult for him to raise and lower his pitch or make variations in his voice.

Along with this, the singer explained: “I have broken my ribs sometimes, because sometimes, When it is very severe, it can also break some ribs.“.