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My feet showing cramping and curling of toes, feet turning inward
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Have you ever experienced a painful cramped foot or curled, clenched
toes as part of life with Parkinson's? These symptoms can often be a tell-tale
sign of dystonia — sustained and often painful muscle twisting, spasms and
cramps. Dystonia can be an early symptom of PD, or it can develop later, as a
side effect of levodopa.
People with Parkinson’s
commonly experience dystonia as a cramp in the foot that causes the toes to
curl and stay clenched. In fact, in some people, a foot dystonia induced by
walking or running may be one of the very first signs of the illness.
More commonly people who are being treated for PD complain of painful
dystonia of the foot on the more severely affected side. This painful cramp
usually goes away after the first dose of PD medications. Less commonly in
treated patients, dystonia can affect other body parts and come and go
throughout the day.
Dystonia can affect other parts of the body too. It causes forceful
twisting movements that, for example, can draw a person’s arm behind their
back, or pull the head to the side or toward the chest. These movements are
different from the flowing, writhing movements of dyskinesia, which are not
painful.
Although people with PD sometimes have dystonia, it also is its own
movement disorder — people can have dystonia without having PD. Whether
dystonia is part of PD or not, it is caused by changes in an area of the brain
called the basal ganglia, and is often treated with the same medications.
Pain from dystonia may be the most severe pain experienced by people
with
PD. Both pain and cramped postures affect a person’s quality of life. To
cope
with dystonia:
Learn
about dystonia and treatment options, and work with your doctor to find
the best treatment
for you.
Connect
with others who are living with PD and dystonia through support groups, online
groups and organizations like PDF.
If
needed, seek help for depression and anxiety, which are common and debilitating
PD symptoms, and can be exacerbated by pain.
Find
ways to pursue activities that you enjoy, and to plan and pace yourself for social, physical and creative activities.
Treat
your body well by getting enough sleep and exercise, and by eating nutritious
meals.
http://www.pdf.org/dystonia
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