Stiff Person Syndrome: Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment, Prevention & Diet

Can Stiff Person Syndrome Kill You : Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment, Prevention, Causes And Diet

DEFINITION OF STIFF PERSON SYNDROME:

Stiff person syndrome is a rare auto immune movement disorder that affect the central nervous system the brain and spinal cord of the body. In this condition people experience stiffness in muscle and rigidity in the legs and other muscles in the body. It was first discovered by Moersch and Woltman that's why it is also known as Moersch and Woltman syndrome. It causes painful muscle spasms it can be triggered by noise emotional distress and light physical touch.

It leads to an altered posture it limits your ability to walk or move some people need years of treatment for recovery and maintain a normal life

 Firstly, it involves in one area of body and then its spread all over the body.

Who might getaffected by stiff person syndrome:

It is an extremely rare disease only one out of millions of people might get affected by the syndrome it can occurred basically between the age of 30 to 60 years.

It is basically can be seen in those people who have certain types of disease:

•   Autoimmune disorders including diabetes thyroiditis vitiligo and Pernicious anaemia
•   Certain cancel including breast lung, thyroid, colon.

Symptoms and causes of strip person syndrome:

Scientist are not sure about the real causes of this syndrome. It is however believed that those people who are affected by these stiff person syndromes, it can be an autoimmune disorder in which a person’s immune system attacks healthy cells of our body. Our human body started making antibodies that attack an enzyme called glutamic decarboxylase acid (GAD). GAD plays an important role in making a neurotransmitter called Gama amino-butyric acid (Gaba) which helps in controlling muscle movement and provides relaxation and this syndrome attacks GAD enzyme which decreases the amount of Gaba in the body.

Symptoms:

Symptoms of stiff person syndrome take several months to develop. It can be seen in the most of the people that the trunk and abdomen muscles first to become stiff and enlarged.

Symptoms include pain muscle stiffness and aching discomfort our leg muscles become stiff and this stiffness reached to our arms and even the face as stiffness increased it makes hard to walk or move.

During these syndromes, Painful muscle spasms also occurred. These spasms can last for a few seconds, minutes or even in an hour. These spasms are so painful that it can dislocate our limb, break our bones. Spasm usually worsen the muscle stiffness it can be triggered by loud noise, physical touch, cold environment. A proper sleep can usually reduce these spasms. It usually occurs in all over the body.

Diagnosis:

You can diagnose stiff person syndrome through several ways:

Blood test: Through Blood Test, it will check the presence of antibodies to GAD or amphiphysin that might indicate the different signs of disease to cure it. It was found that over 60 to 80% people have antibodies against GAD.

 Electromyography (EMG): It is a machine that used to measure the electrical motility in the muscles.

 Lumbar puncture (spinal tap): In this process of lumbar puncture doctor uses a needle to make a passage to your spinal canal to check for the antibodies in the body against GAD. It helps to check the symptoms so that doctor can easily cure it.

Treatment:

Basically the treatment of the syndrome is based on their symptoms. The main objective of the treatment is to manage symptoms and improving your mobility and comfort.

Therapies are your health care provider may try include benzo diazepines such as a (diazepam and clonazepam) to treat muscles stiffness and spams anti-seizure drugs may be given help to decrease pains.

Other treatment options include intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) plasmapheresis, rituximab autologous steam cell transplant. Your health provide works with you to give best medication and several therapies so that it helps to control symptoms and increase your power of mobility and makes your life more comfortable.

Effective non medication options (sometimes medication) are include physical therapy, massage, water therapy, heat therapy acupuncture and others etc.

Complications of strip person syndrome or it's treatment:

Patients who are suffering from stiff person syndrome can face some complications during their treatment:

• Anxiety and depression
• Dislocation or broken bones from several muscle spasms
• Frequent Falls
• Excessive sweating

Prevention:

Till now scientist can't find the actual causes of strip person syndrome therefore there is no any known way of prevention it.

When did I go to the Hospital?

When you are feeling stiffening or severed muscle spasms in your trunk arms or legs then immediately contact your nearby hospital or any Healthcare provider. If you have any risk factors of the syndrome especially an autoimmune condition, then ask doctor about stiff person syndrome.

Questions should I ask to my doctor?

If you have stiff person syndrome you should ask to your doctor these several questions regarding as follows:

• What are the drugs should work better based on my symptoms?
• What are the signs of complications should I take care?
• What will happen to my health in the future?

Conclusion:

This syndrome is incurable and can be controlled only by medication and therapies and Gluten free diet.