All about Dystonia

05/12/24 • 17 min

Therabytes

This week on TheraBytes we cover the topic of Dystonia - what it is, the causes, the symptoms and treatments.

This week on TheraBytes we cover the topic of Dystonia - what it is, the causes, the symptoms and treatments.

Previous Episode

All about Spasticity

All about high tone - Spasticity - describes something that happens to our muscles when we have an upper motor neuron injury.

A discovery of more than just a simple understanding of the ‘elastic band’ theory, especially within the context of cerebral palsy. Spasticity is another diagnosis that originates from the injured brain either at birth or post birth or even the spinal cord. It is a common reason why we observe disruption of muscle movement patterns in our children and young people. I understand now that spasticity is all about a "velocity dependent" increase in tone - it's not just tightness.

These ‘annoying’ movements can seem jerky and feel like muscle tightness and joint stiffness, all of which can be frustrating for our kids. Our children work hard, in and out of therapy to stabilise and balance their body for the simple act of standing, taking steps or reaching out. I have come to realise though that in order to get to that end movement, it can be the cause of a lot of cognitive and physical exhaustion, not to mention pain.

As a parent, this chat was an eye opener because I came to realise how spasticity can contribute to daily life - everything that they want to do during the day as well as how they can go to sleep and rest.

Dr Dayna highlights how spasticity affects our children from day to day and how we can also embrace "chill time" in amongst all the things we have to do. She also discusses the role of botulinum toxin type A, surgery, therapy and strengthening.

Next Episode

All about Dysphagia

All about Dysphagia!
Dysphagia means that an individual may have impaired swallowing. It is an impairment that can be observed in people with cerebral palsy or neuromuscular diseases. It occurs when the individual isn't able to safely swallow due to changes in muscle tone or altered coordination. It is so important to identify dysphagia because it can have some serious consequences on lung health and nutrition.

Identifying dysphagia is often within the realms of speech pathologists but it usually also involves large teams such as ENT, nutritionists and respiratory medicine. These teams will work together to make a plan to ensure that the individual receives nutrition and hydration safely. It may mean recommending particular textures of food or thickness of liquids so that it is easier for the individual to prepare the food to swallow safely. However, at times, this can be very challenging and meal times can become very lengthy and frustrating with children failing to put on enough weight. When this happens, it may be necessary to consider a PEG which provides a safe way for nutrition and hydration to enter the body without the concerns of choking or aspirating.

Aspirations are when food "goes down the wrong pipe" and ends up in the lungs causing infection. This can be very serious especially if it occurs frequently and this is why it is so important for dysphagia to be treated.

In this episode we also talk about some practical strategies and tips which include reducing distractions when eating and not walking or moving around when eating. Whilst aspirations are more common in children that rely on more equipment and physical assistance, we know that tone and muscle strength can play a role in coordinating safe swallows.