Celine Dion’s Stiff person syndrome reveal has been one of the most shocking and rare celebrity Illnesses ever.
In a surprising post made on the 8th of December, the iconic global star revealed her battle with Stiff Person Syndrome.
She took to her Instagram page to reveal the news to her fans, saying: “I know you might have questions about my health and I wanted to let you know that I am doing great.”
She added: “Unfortunately, these spasms affect every aspect of my daily life, sometimes causing difficulties when I walk and not allowing me to use my vocal cords to sing the way I’m used to.
“It hurts me to tell you today that this means I won’t be ready to restart my tour in Europe in February”.
Our heart goes out to Celine Dion and wishes her a quick recovery. For the majority of us, this is the first time hearing of this syndrome. So here are some facts about it:
Stiff person syndrome is a rare autoimmune movement disorder that affects the central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord).
Also known as Moersch-Woltman syndrome, characterized by progressive muscle stiffness (rigidity) and repeated episodes of painful muscle spasms. Muscular rigidity often fluctuates (i.e., grows worse and then improves) and usually occurs along with the muscle spasms
People with this condition first experience a stiffening of the muscles of their trunk followed, over time, by the development of stiffness and rigidity in the legs and other muscles in the body.
Here are 8 facts to know about Stiff Person Syndrome
- Stiff person syndrome is a very rare disease that occurs in about one in a million people.
- Twice as many women have stiff person syndrome as men.
- It is commonly found in middle-aged people between the ages of 30-60.
- SPS was first described by Moersch and Woltman in 1956.
- Stiff person syndrome can cause someone to have an altered posture and, in severe cases, it can limit a person’s ability to walk or move.
- Researchers are not sure of the exact cause of stiff person syndrome. However, they believe it to be an autoimmune disorder, a condition where your immune system attacks healthy cells.
- Symptoms include pain, muscle stiffness, aching discomfort, difficulty walking, depression, and anxiety.
- Because stiff person syndrome can be misdiagnosed as Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, psychosomatic illness, or anxiety and phobia, the condition is diagnosed with a blood test that measures the level of glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) antibodies in the blood.
- There is no known way to prevent it.
