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Cervical Dystonia & Me: A Daily Battle with an Invisible Struggle
A Head Full of Storms
Cervical Dystonia is an extremely painful chronic neurological movement disorder causing the muscles in your neck to contract. This causes involuntary movements of your head and neck to turn to the left, right, upwards, and/or downwards. These movements may prevent you from participating in the activities you enjoy. The symptoms of cervical dystonia are spasms and tremors.
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It started when I was young, though I barely remember at what age. My family always thought it was a bad habit I had picked up, and for a while, I believed the same. As I grew older, the symptoms worsened.
At 22, I began experiencing severe pain in my neck, shoulders, and arms. Initially, I consulted an orthopedist, thinking I had a broken bone causing the sharp pain. However, I later realized it was related to my nervous system. I visited a neurologist, who asked me several questions, applied pressure to my neck, and tested my reflexes with a small hammer. She then prescribed a set of medications, mainly muscle relaxants for my nerves. I took them for about four months before stopping, but I would buy them again whenever the pain returned.
