Musician's Dystonia Somehow Corrupts the Sensory Motor Symptoms Programs Associated with Playing the Instrument

Musician’s Dystonia

Professional musicians are susceptible may develop symptoms in either hand. to a number of occupational conditions , Woodwind players may develop symp - including task-specific focal dystonia . tom s in the hands, face, or mouth. Dystonia is a neurological disorder Brass players are usually affected in characterized by involuntary muscle the corners of the mouth and jaw. contractions and postures. There is typically no pain associated The term focal indicates that the with musician’s dystonia. dystonia affects a single, specific area of the body. The term task-specific Because musician’s dystonia is a indicates that the symptoms only occur neurological disorder, the aim of when the individual is completing treatment is to help the nervous a particular task, such as playing a system relearn the ability to complete musical instrument. specific movement tasks without triggering dystonia. Experts estimate that 1-2% of professional musicians are affected The origins of musician’s dystonia by dystonia, but there are likely large are being researched by scientists numbers of musicians living with around the world. As a person symptoms who remain unidentified. develops and learns movement tasks, Almost all individuals with musician’s these movements are stored in the dystonia are classically trained, and brain as sensory motor programs. most are male. Musician's dystonia somehow corrupts the sensory motor Symptoms programs associated with playing the instrument. The first signs of musician’s dystonia are lapses in the usually instinctive ability to perform on the instrument. Although there is no cure for musician’s dystonia at this Musicians may perceive the early symptoms of dystonia time, several treatment options exist. as a result of faulty technique or insufficient preparation. Embouchure Dystonia Musician’s dystonia is triggered by playing the instrument Embouchure dystonia is a type of dystonia that affects and does not typically affect other activities. The top brass and woodwind players. Embouchure dystonia three musical instruments associated with musician’s targets muscles in the mouth, face, jaw, and tongue. dystonia are piano, guitar, and brass instruments. The involuntary, abnormal movements associated with Pianists typically develop symptoms in the right hand, embouchure dystonia are often very subtle and occur often affecting the fingers. String players usually experience only when the musician is playing, buzzing into the symptoms in the left hand. Guitarists and percussionists mouthpiece, or forming the embouchure. Symptoms of embouchure dystonia may include air leaks Musician’s hand dystonia is highly task specific, and at the corners of the mouth, sometimes accompanied may have a prominent sensory component. For example, by a tremor, and involuntary contractions of the muscles a pianist may experience symptoms with playing on in the face. ivory keys but not while playing on plastic.

Treatment may include rehabilitative methods that Treatment may include rehabilitative methods that attempt to retrain the nervous system to perform on attempt to retrain the nervous system to perform on the instrument without triggering symptoms, oral the instrument without triggering symptoms, oral medications, and botulinum neurotoxin injections medications, and botulinum neurotoxin injections administered by an experienced physician. administered by an experienced physician.

A neurologist who specializes in movement disorders A neurologist who specializes in movement disorders is typically the most appropriate physician to diagnosis is typically the most appropriate physician to diagnosis and treat embouchure dystonia. and treat hand dystonia.

Hand Dystonia Support Focal hand and limb dystonia is characterized by Musicians With Dystonia (MWD) was founded in involuntary, abnormal movements in the hands and/or 2000 by Glen Estrin, a former professional French horn fingers. Hand dystonia is seen in pianists, string players, player diagnosed with embouchure dystonia, and Steven guitarists, percussionists, and woodwind players. Frucht, MD in partnership with the Dystonia Medical Research Foundation. Symptoms of hand dystonia may include subtle loss of control in fast passages, lack of precision, curling of the MWD established a network of health care practitioners fingers, fingers “sticking” to keys, involuntary flexion of knowledgeable about the disorder and an informal support the thumb in strings, and tremor. network of fellow affected musicians.

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