This web page gives a narrative of my recovery from embouchure dystonia and provides information about how I was able to retrain including resources and links to many helpful web pages.
Dystonia is a neurological movement disorder characterized by involuntary muscle contractions thought to be caused by overuse and misuse in practicing. My version was considered focal (meaning it only affected my embouchure) and task-specific (meaning it only happened as I played trombone).
There is no reliable medical treatment for dystonia; however, there are other options which I describe in the narrative and strategy pages of this site.
When I was diagnosed with dystonia in May of 2002, there were very few resources available to help me. Now that I am better, I want to share what I learned with others so there will be fewer cases of dystonia and those who suffer from it might find some clues to recovery from my experience.
Following are answers to some frequently asked questions about dystonia:
Symptoms of dystonia
When you have dystonia you feel like you can't control your muscles and the harder you try, the worse it gets. There are many different kinds of dystonia which may affect a variety of body parts. In musicians, it can manifest itself in the fingers or embouchure. If a pianist, for example, has finger dystonia, one of the fingers will curl up whenever it's neighbor is used. In my case, the muscles of my embouchure would lock up, prohibiting air to escape and causing late entrances, cracked notes and basically unreliable playing.
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What causes dystonia?
Nobody knows for sure what causes dystonia but I suspect it involves a number of factors including, but not necessarily limited to: misuse of one's body, genetic pre-disposition, poor technique and obsessive personality.
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Who is at risk for getting dystonia?
I believe there must be an "x" factor; a genetic predisposition. If there weren't, then everyone who misuses thier body would get dystonia and this simply is not true. That said, it would minimize your chances of getting an injury of any sort if you play without tension in your body and with an understanding of how we are designed to move.
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How can I avoid getting dystonia?
Be smart about your playing. Learn the truth about how we are built and how we are designed to move. Don't think of playing as an athletic activity.
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How do you recover from dystonia?
I was able to do it through a cocktail of therapies; not just one magic bullet. My cocktail was different than anybody else's might be; above all, one must find their own way and persevere. Experimentation, creativity and lots of help are necessary for success.
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Is dystonia common?
Not very. It is unclear how many cases are out there for the following reasons: it's not always accurately diagnosed; those who have it are not always forthright about thier condition;
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