For involuntary muscle contractions that twist the body into abnormal postures, deep brain stimulation can reduce the movements and the discomfort that come with them.
Dystonia is a disorder of sustained or intermittent involuntary muscle contractions that cause twisting movements and abnormal, sometimes painful, postures. It can be widespread (generalized), affect a region of the body (segmental), or be focal, such as cervical dystonia (also called torticollis), where the neck muscles pull the head to one side. It can be inherited, arise without a known cause, or follow another condition.
Treatment usually begins with medication and, for focal forms such as cervical dystonia, botulinum toxin injections. Surgery is considered when dystonia is generalized or segmental, or when focal dystonia is severe and disabling, and these measures no longer give adequate control.
Improvement in dystonia after stimulation is often gradual rather than immediate, and the response can continue to develop over months. Treatment is paired with ongoing care from a movement-disorders neurologist, and the goal is meaningful relief of the abnormal postures, movements, and discomfort.