Celine Dion Health Updates

Celine Dion health during the past few months, there have been numerous speculations about. She was recently announced to have been diagnosed with a rare neurological disease, which may keep her off the stage for some time.

According to Claudette Dion, her sister, she is working hard to fight her illness. She hopes that she will one day return to performing on stage.

What is Stiff-Person Syndrome?

Stiff-Person Syndrome is a rare neurological disorder that causes progressive muscle stiffness and painful spasms. It affects one in a million people and is most common in women.

Symptoms often begin in your 30s or 40s and may include pain in your back, legs, arms, shoulders or neck. You also might experience problems with walking, balance and coordination.

The cause of SPS is unknown, but scientists believe it’s an autoimmune disorder where the immune system wrongly attacks a protein called glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD). This enzyme helps to make gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a neurotransmitter that regulates anxiety and depression.

Doctors make the diagnosis by looking for elevated levels of GAD antibodies in your blood. Other tests can also be helpful to confirm the diagnosis, such as an electromyography test to study the electrical activity of skeletal muscles.

What is the Treatment for Stiff-Person Syndrome?

Stiff-Person Syndrome is a rare autoimmune disease that causes muscle stiffness and spasms that come and go. Treatment involves managing symptoms and improving your mobility and comfort.

Medications and physical therapy can help. Your doctor may also recommend antidepressants, psychotherapy and acupuncture.

Some people with SPS can improve their symptoms by getting intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg), a type of immunotherapy. This treatment utilizes antibodies that the body’s immune system naturally produces, donated by healthy individuals such as Celine Dion.

Celine Dion health provider may order a blood test or lumbar puncture to check for antibodies to GAD, the enzyme that makes the neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). Electromyography or EMG is also sometimes recommended.

Medications such as benzodiazepines and baclofen can relieve SPS muscle stiffness and spasms. Gabapentin, a medication that helps to block GABA signals in your brain, is another treatment option.

What is the Diagnosis for Stiff-Person Syndrome?

Stiff-Person Syndrome is a rare movement disorder that causes muscle stiffness in the torso and limbs. It is thought to be an autoimmune disease, caused by your immune system mistakenly attacking nerve cells that help control muscle movements.

This can result in a deficiency of a chemical messenger called gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA), which helps control motor neurons. GABA controls how fast your muscles fire and helps keep you stable.

Most people who have stiff-person syndrome have antibodies in their blood that target an enzyme called glutamic acid decarboxylase, which plays a role in making GABA.

This can cause motor neurons to continuously fire even when they aren’t supposed to, disrupting the normal pathways of communication between your brain and your muscles. Medications that reduce these firings can help ease your symptoms and improve your comfort.

What is the Cure for Stiff-Person Syndrome?

The Canadian singer Celine Dion health has postponed several of her upcoming tours in Europe after she revealed that she is dealing with a rare neurological disorder called Stiff-Person Syndrome. The condition causes spasms of the limbs and torso that may exacerbate falls, according to NINDS.

Stiff-Person Syndrome affects a small number of people (about one in a million) and strikes women more often than men, NINDS says. The hallmarks of the condition include progressive muscle stiffness and painful episodes of debilitating muscle spasms.

Researchers believe that autoimmune mechanisms in the body cause the disease. Most patients have GAD autoantibodies, which cause their immune systems to produce antibodies that target a protein that helps control muscle function.

Treatment for SPS focuses on controlling symptoms and improving mobility and comfort. Your healthcare team will consider your symptoms and work with you to find the best approach. Immunomodulating therapies, such as intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), can be effective for some patients with SPS.