Types of Dystonia

The condition dystonia is of various types.

-    Generalized dystonia that affects most or all parts of the body.
-    Focal dystonia is confined to some specific part of the body.
-    Multifocal dystonia affects 2 or more disparate body parts.
-    Segmental dystonia involves 2 or more adjoining areas of the body.
-    Hemidystonia involves the limbs on one side of the body.

There are some dystonic patterns that fall into certain specific syndromes:

-    Cervical dystonia also termed spasmodic torticollis, or just torticollis, the most common of all focal dystonias, affects the neck muscles that control the movement of the head, making  the head to twist as well as turn to one side.
-    Blepharospasm, is the second most common of all focal dystonia, involving the forcible and involuntary closure of eyelids. The initial symptoms might be uncontrollable blinking.
-    Torsion dystonia happens to be a generalized but rare dystonia that can be inherited. Beginning with childhood, it becomes progressively worse. This type of dystonia might very well leave people seriously disabled and even restricted to a wheelchair.
-    Cranial dystonia is a form of dystonia that involves muscles of the head, neck and face.
-    Writer's cramp is a dystonia that can affect the muscles of the forearm, and occurs only while engaged in writing. It is also called pianist’s cramp, musician’s cramp as well as typist's cramp.