Focal dystonia is a neurological disorder involving involuntary spasms and cramping in muscles, such as the hands and fingers. It can result from overuse and tends to affect musicians, golfers, or people who work with their hands.

Some people may refer to focal dystonia as “the yips.” The disorder can affect the hands, causing the fingers to involuntarily curl into the palm or extend outward without control.

People who work with their hands, such as people who work in a factory, may be more likely to experience focal dystonia.

Focal dystonia involves a single body part. If the symptoms occur in more than one body part, a person may have a different type of dystonia.

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Dystonia refers to a range of symptoms that affect movement. It affects around 500,000Trusted Source people in North America.

There are many different types of dystonia, which affect various muscles in the body. Focal dystonia describes any dystonia that remains in one area.

There are also different types of focal dystonia, and doctors define them based on their causes, movement patterns, and areas of the body. For example:

  • Focal hand dystonia: This type may cause cramps, tremors, or involuntary movement during highly practiced or repetitive hand motions, such as when writing or playing an instrument. Some people call it “writer’s cramp” or “musician’s cramp.” Doctors may call it task-specific dystonia.
  • Foot dystonia: People will experience symptoms such as cramping or involuntary movement in the foot.
  • Paroxysmal dystonia: This type of dystonia involves short attacks and does not cause noticeable symptoms outside of these episodes.
  • Spasmodic dystonia: This condition affects the vocal cords, causing spasms that the individual cannot control. These spasms can alter the sound of the voice.
  • Neck or cervical dystonia: This term refers to muscle contractions in the neck, which can cause pain and lead to uncomfortable postures, with the head pulling forward, backward, or to one side.
  • Blepharospasm: The effects of dystonia can occur around the eye, where they can result in the involuntarily closing of the eyelids.

Many more types of focal dystonia can occur. Doctors categorize them by their cause, the age of onset, and the area they affect.

Symptoms vary according to the type of focal dystonia.

Early symptoms may include a loss of precision in muscle coordination. For example, people may first notice increasing difficulty using a pen. They may also regularly experience small injuries to the hand and might become more likely to drop items.

The repetitive use of a muscle may lead to trembling and cramping pains. Significant muscle pain and cramping may result from minor physical activities, such as holding a book and turning its pages.

As well as these specific symptoms, people may experience secondary effects on their continuous muscle and brain activity, including:

People with dystonia may also experience depression. This can occur because, as the condition worsens, they may find it difficult to carry out their daily activities.

Some people have symptoms that worsen and then stabilize for years. In other cases, symptoms may stop progressing entirely.

Treatment and lifestyle changes may help slow the progression of focal dystonia. However, if the person continues to use their muscles in the same way, the symptoms may progress more rapidly.

Dystonia can beTrusted Source hereditary. Doctors may call this primary dystonia or familial dystonia. Primary dystonia is usually generalized, affecting multiple body areas, but can be focal.

Neurotransmitters are chemicals in the brain that relay information. A shortage of these chemicals or a malfunction in their production in the basal ganglia can lead to dystonia.

The basal ganglia are a collection of brain cells that produce and respond to neurotransmitters, helping to mediate smooth muscle movements.

Secondary dystonia might be due to a health condition, such as:

Conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, and Wilson’s disease usually cause generalized dystonia. A stroke, tumor, and certain infections may be more likely to cause a focal dystonia.

Environmental causes

Certain substances can cause generalized dystonia. These substances include some medications, such as:

Some substances, such as caffeine and antihistamines, may trigger or worsen symptoms of focal dystonia in someone who already has the condition.

People who perform high-precision hand movements, such as musicians, engineers, architects, and people who work in a factory, are also more likely to develop the disorder. A 2024 review suggests that 2% to 10% of professional musicians have focal dystonia.

It tends to be “task specific,” which means that it only poses a problem during certain activities.

Doctors may refer people to a neurologist if they show signs of focal dystonia. During a diagnosis, a healthcare professional will ask about a person’s medical history, their family’s medical history, and their symptoms.

If they suspect a person has primary dystonia, they may orderTrusted Source genetic tests. For primary or secondary dystonia, they may also order blood tests and imaging tests, including MRI.

Lifestyle changes may be necessary to reduce the types of movement likely to trigger or worsen dystonic symptoms. Other management strategies may include:

Healthcare professionals may alsoTrusted Source suggest Botox injections. Botox injections cannot cure dystonia, but they may relieve symptoms. Botox is a commercially prepared form of botulinum toxin, which the doctor injects directly into the affected muscles.

The botulinum toxin protein prevents the neurotransmitters responsible for muscle movement and spasms from reaching the affected muscles. The effects usually last for 3 to 4 months, at which point another injection will be necessary.

Some people may experience weakness of the affected muscles as a side effect of this injection.

A 2023 article suggests that deep brain stimulation may also be an effective treatment option for people with focal dystonia.

Treating an underlying condition, such as Parkinson’s disease, may help lessen symptoms in people with secondary focal dystonia.

Dystonia is typically aTrusted Source lifelong disorder, and very few people experience remission or an improvement in symptoms. Life expectancy is unaffected, but symptoms persist. Outlook and quality of life may depend on the underlying cause.

Ongoing symptoms may require people with the disorder to limit certain activities.

As people learn to live with dystonia, healthcare professionals can help them manage the symptoms by prescribing treatments or pain relief and physical therapy to help adapt their posture and movements.

Dystonia is uncommon, but people should speak with a doctor if they think they may have symptoms. Focal dystonia will affect only one body part. Signs to contact a doctor include:

  • uncontrollable spasms and cramping
  • body parts twisting into unusual positions, such as hands or feet curling inward
  • uncontrollable blinking
  • tremors

People may notice symptoms after certain activities. Symptoms may be continuous or may come and go.

What is the age of onset for focal dystonia?

Focal dystonia typically develops during adulthood, after 20 to 30 years of age.

Can someone with dystonia live a long life?

Dystonia does not typicallyTrusted Source affect a person’s life span. However, symptoms can be lifelong, and a person’s outlook may depend on the underlying cause of their symptoms.

Why do musicians get focal dystonia?

Experts are still researching why some musicians develop focal dystonia. However, it may be due to dysfunction of parts of the brain, such as the basal ganglia. Excessively playing instruments and the repetitive movements this involves may also increase the risk.

Dystonia is a condition that causes uncontrollable spasms, cramps, and movements. In focal dystonia, these symptoms only affect one body part.

Focal dystonia can occur due to genetic inheritance, underlying conditions, or environmental factors. If a person can avoid the environmental factor or a doctor can treat the underlying condition, symptoms may lessen.

Botox injections may also help to improve symptoms. However, people will usually experience symptoms for their whole lives.