The singer has announced that she has this very rare neurological disorder. This syndrome causes muscle stiffness that gets progressively worse.
By Johanna Amselem
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VS’is the bad news that fans have been dreading. Thursday December 8, Celine Dion spoke in a long video posted on her Instagram account. With emotion, the Quebec star announces the postponement of the first dates of his European tour, scheduled for the month of February.
The singer reveals to suffer from “health problems for a long time”. Before revealing more: “Recently, I was diagnosed with a very rare neurological disorder, called in English stiff-person syndrome [syndrome de la personne raide]. In France, his visit to the Vieilles Charrues festival in Brittany was canceled.
One in a million affected
What is stiff person syndrome? The Orphanet site – specializing in rare diseases – explains that this rare neurological pathology combines “a fluctuating rigidity of the trunk and limbs, painful muscle spasms, a phobia associated with the performance of certain tasks, a tendency to jump in an exaggerated way and ankylosing deformities, such as a fixed lumbar posture in hyperlordosis”.
Worldwide, one person in a million is affected by this syndrome; two-thirds of the cases are women. The reasons for the occurrence of this disease are not well known. It could be “the result of an autoimmune response gone wrong in the brain and spinal cord.” It is frequently confused with other diseases such as fibromyalgia or multiple sclerosis.
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Disabling spasms
If the peak incidence of the disease is around 45 years of age, the symptoms of this disease evolve over the years. On a daily basis, Celine Dion says she experiences these disabling spasms: “These spasms affect my everyday life on several levels. I sometimes have a lot of difficulty walking and I can’t always use my vocal cords to sing as I would like. These spasms can occur unexplained; in some cases, they can be triggered by a sudden noise, such as a car horn.
How does this syndrome evolve? Trunk and abdominal muscles atrophy over time. Generally, the arms and legs are less affected. “In principle, stiff-person syndrome progresses, culminating in disability and full-body stiffness,” the manual points out. MSD, the world reference for medical information. Diagnosis is made following an examination to study the nerves and blood tests to detect the presence of certain antibodies. The purpose of the analysis is to determine the level of antacid glutamic decarboxylase (GAD) antibodies in the blood.READ ALSO Celine Dion sick: the black series continues What treatment? It is currently not possible to cure the disease, several drugs can be offered to relieve the symptoms. For example, it is possible to take a sedative, a muscle relaxant and corticosteroids. Some patients also use non-drug approaches, such as acupuncture, stretching, etc. Céline Dion remains hopeful of returning to the stage soon: “To find you again, I have no other choice but to focus on my health, and I have good hopes of being on the right track. »