The Reality of Dystonia and Paths to Relief: Learning to Say “Stop”

The Reality of Dystonia and Paths to Relief: Learning to Say “Stop”

Let’s begin with a simple picture.
Imagine waking up in the morning and wanting to have breakfast, but instead of moving toward your mouth, the fork in your hand stubbornly twists to the right—completely out of your control. Or while talking to someone, your neck suddenly turns left or right against your will, and no matter how hard you try, you can’t straighten it.

For people with dystonia, life is unfortunately a silent, exhausting, and uncontrolled battle with their own bodies. Describing this condition merely as “involuntary muscle contractions” is far from sufficient. Because for those experiencing it, dystonia feels like the remote control of the body is broken.

If you or someone close to you is going through this, the first thing you need to know is this: you are not alone.

Believe it or not, this condition is not an unsolvable knot. At Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mehmet Sorar’s clinic in Ankara, we explain—clearly and simply—how these uncontrollable muscles can be stopped using the most modern and reliable tools of neurological science.

What Exactly Is Dystonia? Why Does the Brain Send the Wrong Signals?

To understand this, imagine the brain as a massive electrical grid.
Under normal circumstances, when your brain tells your arm to lift, a clear command is sent to the relevant muscles. In dystonia, however, a kind of short circuit occurs in the basal ganglia, the brain’s movement control center.

The brain continuously sends unnecessary commands to the muscles—contract, twist, bend—even when it shouldn’t.

It’s important to emphasize this clearly:
This is not a psychiatric illness.
It is not a muscle disease.

This is a disruption in the brain’s communication frequency.
It may be genetic, may develop after trauma, or may appear without any identifiable cause. But what matters most is not why dystonia arrived—it’s how it can be managed.

Small Sensory Tricks That Fool the Body

There is a curious feature that often distinguishes dystonia patients from others—and perhaps you’re already doing this without realizing it. In medicine, this is called geste antagoniste, or a sensory trick.

For example, a patient with cervical dystonia may experience involuntary head turning, but when they lightly touch their chin or cheek, the head straightens. They’re not pushing the head—just touching the skin.

This simple contact temporarily confuses the brain’s chaotic signal traffic and calms the system. Patients often use this trick while eating out, watching a movie, or taking photos to manage symptoms.

This phenomenon is one of the strongest proofs that dystonia is not psychological, but rather related to the brain’s sensory processing systems.

How Does It Appear? Symptoms and Types

Dystonia is highly individual. Symptoms vary from person to person, and the condition does not progress the same way in everyone. Based on Dr. Mehmet Sorar’s clinical observations, the most common presentations include:

Neck Dystonia (Cervical Dystonia):
The most common type. The head involuntarily pulls to the side, forward, or backward—as if an invisible hand is constantly pushing it. Patients often try to stop this by placing a hand on their chin.

Eyelid Spasms (Blepharospasm):
Excessive blinking or involuntary eye closure. The person is not blind, but experiences functional blindness because they cannot keep their eyes open. Light sensitivity is extremely high.

Writer’s Cramp and Musician’s Dystonia:
Muscle contraction occurs only during specific tasks, such as writing or playing an instrument. The hand tightens, and holding a pen or instrument becomes impossible. This can be career-altering.

Generalized Dystonia:
Usually begins in childhood and spreads from the legs to the entire body. It may cause trunk twisting and severe walking difficulties.

Why Does Diagnosis Take So Long?

Unfortunately, reaching the correct diagnosis can take months—or even years—for many dystonia patients. The main reason is the condition’s deceptive and variable nature.

Many patients first visit an orthopedist due to neck pain and are diagnosed with disc herniation or arthritis. They undergo physical therapy with no improvement. As tremors worsen with stress, they are referred to psychiatry and told the problem is psychological or anxiety-related.

But the issue is not psychological—it is entirely neurological.

Patients often spend years trying to prove that they are not imagining symptoms, that they simply cannot control their bodies.

Dr. Mehmet Sorar establishes the correct diagnosis by carefully listening to the patient’s story and performing a detailed neurological examination. MRI scans are often normal, as dystonia is not a structural disorder.

A correct diagnosis lifts an enormous burden from the patient’s shoulders, allowing them to move forward with clarity and confidence.

You Are Never Helpless: The Treatment Roadmap

Many patients are told to “learn to live with it” and are sent home in despair.

Modern medicine does not stand helpless in the face of dystonia. Dr. Mehmet Sorar follows a three-step strategy, tailored to each patient:

Medical Treatment (Medications):
Drugs that regulate chemical imbalances in the brain may be effective in mild cases.

Botulinum Toxin Injections:
Botox injected into overactive muscles temporarily blocks the contraction signal from nerve to muscle. The effect lasts 3–4 months and requires repeat treatments.

Surgical Intervention (Deep Brain Stimulation):
When medications and botulinum toxin are insufficient, this advanced surgical option comes into play—the pinnacle of modern treatment.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: Does dystonia worsen with stress?
A: Absolutely. Stress alters brain chemistry and can trigger muscle contractions. Excitement, fatigue, or even being in public can intensify symptoms. That’s why treatment also aims to provide psychological relief, not just physical control.

Q: Will botox make my face expressionless?
A: No. Botox used for dystonia differs from cosmetic applications and is injected only into problematic muscles. Facial expressions remain intact—only the persistent contractions stop.

Q: Is this a lifelong condition?
A: Dystonia is a chronic condition and does not resolve on its own. However, with proper treatment, symptoms can be controlled by 80–90%, allowing patients to live completely normal lives.

Take Back Control

You do not have to face this battle with your body alone.
Stopping trembling hands and straightening a twisted neck is possible.

At his clinic in Ankara, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mehmet Sorar is ready to listen to you carefully—as an individual with a unique story.
Let’s untangle this complex knot together.
The control can be yours again.