Internationally-renowned singer Celine Dion shares her experience suffering from Stiff-Person Syndrome in a raw scene from the unused documentary, “I Am: Celine Dion.”
The film, released Tuesday on Top Video, shows the 56-year-old man struggling with unpleasant cramps during a physical therapy session. Lying on her side on a table, Dion is clearly cold and begins to scream as she is relatively shivering and writhing in pain.
Dion revealed in December 2022 that she had been diagnosed with an uncommon neurological infection, which can cause painful spasms and problems walking. Within the documentary, viewers see the celebrity go through some serious moments.
Photos show a physical therapist speaking to Dion During cramps and asked to press her hand when she felt pain. He offers her a nasal swab which reveals that she was breathing abnormally. She and the others in the room discuss whether or not to call 911 if another convulsion begins, but Dion weakly reassures them, “I’m fine.”
It was a candid time for the Canadian singer – which she insisted on capturing in the film. When Dion was shown a harsh spoof six months after that convulsion, she told director Irene Taylor, “Don’t shorten that scene,” Taylor told the Los Angeles Times.
In the documentary, Dion reveals that she has been living with symptoms of the condition for 17 years.
What is the tough guy syndrome?
Stiff-Person Syndrome is an autoimmune and neurological condition affecting one or two out of every 1 million in the community.
Symptoms come with stiffness in the torso and limbs, as well as episodes of unpleasant muscle cramps. Spasms may occur randomly or may be triggered by certain stimuli, including nuisance noises, touch, or emotional distress.
Dr. Jennifer Hankenson at Yale Medicine, who sees patients with stiff-person syndrome, said people with the condition have lower amounts of a chemical called GABA in the brain, which plays a role in regulating anxiety and emotional responses. . In addition to muscle movement.
He said, with low amounts of GABA, cramps can occur which makes the muscle tissue stretch very worrisome. This type of cramp may start in an obvious muscle and spread right through the body.
“So when a patient gets very excited, very stressed, there’s a loud noise or bang around them, it may be a very small trigger, but it can bring on one of those episodes where unfortunately Everything starts to cramp,” Hankenson said. “And when that happens it can be incredibly painful for the patient.”
He said the convulsions may last for several seconds or minutes or may last longer.
There is no cure for Stiff-Person Syndrome, although doctors focus on relieving symptoms using solutions such as sedatives, muscle relaxers, and steroids. Immunotherapy, such as immunoglobulin infusions, has also been shown to reduce the stiffness and sensitivity of the joints to noise, contact and pressure.
Physical and H2O treatments can also back patients up.
It’s no longer clear why some communities cause tough-guy syndrome, Hankenson said, and additional research is needed.
“Fortunately, it is very rare. In people who develop symptoms, it may start with some muscle spasms in their body or sometimes affect their ability to speak. And this usually turns into more violent episodes of muscle spasms,” she said.
What was happening in that scene?
Dion’s physician, Dr. Amanda Pickett, is the director of the Autoimmune Neurology Program at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. He told TODAY.com that the documentary footage shows a cramp that started in Dion’s leg and then took over his body.
“That anxiety, that nervousness, that constant spasm that wasn’t breaking and then very quickly caused full body spasms,” she explained.
The nasal spray that Dion was given was a benzodiazepine, a depressant drug that relieves anxiety and reduces muscle spasms.
Pickett clarified that what Dion experienced was not a seizure.
“It’s a spasm that’s occurring, and patients are aware of what’s happening. There’s a lot of anxiety, a lot of nervousness, your adrenaline is surging,” she explained.
Hankenson, who watched the documentary, described Dion’s convulsions as “an extreme event”.
“Unfortunately, if (patients) are placed in the right environment or given a certain level of stress, this can be the intensity of the body’s response. “This can potentially last for several hours or even longer and put your body in a state of crisis that may actually lead to hospitalization,” she said.
In the documentary, Dion says after the cramps: “Every time something like this happens, it makes you feel very embarrassed. So like, I don’t know how to express it…like not having control over myself.
Hankenson praised Dion for being brave in sharing this episode with the public.
“Celine Dion has been so open about her journey and experiences, she has shed light on tough guy syndrome and hopefully this will provide additional resources for ongoing research,” he said.
Dion’s story will likely give businesses some hope, Equally astutely, Hankenson said: “She’s experienced a lot of recovery. I think it also shows other patients who may have stiff-person syndrome that not everyone is debilitated and not everyone is incapable of recovery to some degree.
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