Long-term relief for dystonia sufferers – Carswellfamilyfoundation

SAN ANTONIO, Texas (Ivanhoe Newswire) – People with a disorder called dystonia experience involuntary muscle contractions that cause painful convulsions and limited movement. Surgeons have a simple solution to reduce the number of operations.

Dystonia is similar to Parkinson’s tremors, but also causes uncontrolled muscle movements and twisting of the patient. Dr. Oceanis Wow is a neurologist and movement disorder specialist at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio; she sees many patients with this disease.

“Her neck was pointing down and constantly flexing, and she could really—she had to struggle to lift her chin. She tried everything – she tried botulinum toxin injections, medications…,” said Dr. Wow.

But now doctors have implanted a new 15-year-old “super” battery into the deep stimulation device.

“The surgeon will drill a very small hole and insert an electrode, a very thin electrode, deep into the brain,” Dr. Wow added.

The device records and transmits information in real time.

“The technology that we were one of the first to use is recharging the battery of this touch device. Now we can use higher stimulation without worrying about running out of battery. About 80 percent of her life has improved. Now she can eat and look up. People can look into her eyes, which was not the case before,” Dr. Wow explained.

This powerful new battery means 15 years between surgeries, rather than the current three to five years, and this is a huge benefit for the patient.

About a quarter of a million people in the United States have dystonia, but many have difficulty getting an accurate diagnosis. The National Institutes of Health recommends seeing a neurologist if you have unexplained problems with movement.

Click here report a typo. Please include a title.

Click here to sign up for our daily WAFB 9 news digest and breaking news alerts delivered straight to your inbox.