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The dystonic reactions I have observed as a psych nurse are much as you describe them, and are impossible to mistake for anything else. They involve a violent, painful twisting of the muscles-the formation of a human pretzel. Carole --- Dennis Greene <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > Joe and Charlie, > > I stand corrected, and rightly so. I am long enough in > the tooth to know > better than to throw out vague, unsubstantiated comments > on matters of > importance. My apologies to anyone I may have confused. > > But if I may be allowed one 'quibble' I believe Joe's > statement in regard to > movement and dystonia (see below), and obviously intended > to simplify and > explain the distinction between dystonia and dyskinesia, > unfortunately only > confuses the issue further. I believe the correct > distinction between the > two (in terms of movement) is that with dyskinesia each > movement is of short > duration, is repeated frequently and often goes in many > directions whilst > with dystonia any movement is sustained throughout the > episode and goes in > the same direction throughout the episode. If I can use > the foot dystonia > familiar to many as an example. The toes curl inward, > and the foot arches > upward drawing the toes towards the heel. This movement > of toes towards heel > is distinctly a movement and only stops because of the > physical inability of > the foot to bend enough. However the pull of the > muscles continues in the > same direction for the duration of the episode. Likewise > in the case of the > toe curling. > > In the case of the leg dystonia I described in my earlier > post, the twisting > movement of the leg is always clockwise and is sustained > throughout the > entire episode. For the record this activity has been > observed by the > neurologist who supervised both my pallidotomy and my > recent DBS. He is a > movement specialist and has no doubt whatsoever that the > activity is > dystonia. > You may quibble in turn <grin> that the movements > involved in the foot > dystonia are small and insignificant (I don't believe > they are - but that > argument could be raised) but in no way could the same > argument be made > about a twisting motion that moves a foot through 90 > degrees and tries to do > the same to the hip joint. > > Dennis > > > But > > careful reading will reassure you that movement is > *not* a major > > feature of dystonia. No doubt some quibblers may > object, but I think > > it's more productive to keep "dystonia" distinct from > "dyskinesia". > > Dystonia has other causes than only PD, but in PD > dyskinesia, the > > difference will help people understand what you're > talking about. > __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Thousands of Stores. Millions of Products. All in one place. Yahoo! Shopping: http://shopping.yahoo.com