Céline Dion has stiff person syndrome, a rare neurological disorder. What is that? - USA TODAY

• Céline Dion revealed that she's been diagnosed with stiff idiosyncratic syndrome connected Thursday.
• Stiff idiosyncratic syndrome is simply a precise uncommon neurological upset that causes progressive musculus stiffness and achy spasms.

In a video posted Thursday addressing the aboriginal of her satellite tour, Céline Dion shared she's been diagnosed with stiff idiosyncratic syndrome.

The Canadian vocalist said the uncommon neurological disorder is what has been causing her to person terrible musculus spasms, affecting her quality to locomotion and sing. The diagnosis means that she volition person to postpone overmuch of her tour, arsenic good arsenic cancel immoderate shows.

"The spasms impact each facet of my regular life, sometimes causing difficulties erstwhile I locomotion and not allowing maine to usage my vocal cords to sing the mode I'm utilized to," Dion said successful the video posted connected Instagram. "I person to admit it's been a struggle. All I cognize is singing, it's what I've done each my life."

Dion said she needs to absorption connected her wellness present and is working with "a large squad of doctors." She said she hopes to execute again successful the future.

Stiff idiosyncratic syndrome is simply a rare neurological upset that affects 1 oregon 2 successful a cardinal people, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. The illness notably causes progressive musculus stiffness and achy spasms. Treatments absorption connected relieving symptoms.

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"It's a illness that's characterized by progressive musculus stiffness, musculus spasms, rigidity – typically successful the muscles of the back, specifically the little back, arsenic good arsenic the precocious legs," Dr. Kunal Desai, a Yale Medicine neurologist and assistant prof of neurology who specializes successful neuromuscular disease, told USA TODAY.

"It tin impact different muscles, including muscles successful the arms arsenic good arsenic speaking and swallowing muscles," helium said. "But that's little common."

Here's what you request to know.

What is stiff idiosyncratic syndrome?

Stiff idiosyncratic syndrome, oregon SPS, is simply a uncommon "neurological upset with features of an autoimmune disease," the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke notes.

The illness causes "progressive musculus stiffness and achy spasms" that tin be triggered by biology factors specified arsenic "sudden movement, acold somesthesia oregon unexpected large noises," Johns Hopkins Medicine said. 

With utmost musculus spasms, "the muscles tin consciousness choky arsenic a rock. So, it tin beryllium very, precise uncomfortable and painful," Desai said, adding that different stimuli that tin provoke these spasms sometimes see touching the muscles, "certain subtle movements" and stress.

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What are the symptoms of SPS?

Prominent SPS symptoms see musculus stiffening and achy musculus spasms that tin beryllium provoked by affectional accent or, again, extracurricular stimuli. It's imaginable for these spasms to be "so terrible that they origin the idiosyncratic to autumn down," Yale Medicine says.

"We each person musculus spasms, but these are musculus spasms that are beyond your power to the constituent that muscles fastener and are truthful rigid. There's truncal dystonia," Dr. Robert Wilson, a neurologist and the manager of the Autonomic Center astatine the Cleveland Clinic, told USA TODAY, expanding connected immoderate terrible cases he's seen. "The limb tin look distorted and contorted. I've seen radical really interruption a limb from it."

These symptoms can pb to trouble walking, among different disabilities. People with SPS are besides much apt to experience anxiety and depression, Yale Medicine notes – pointing to however unpredictable the illness tin beryllium and due to the fact that patients "have little levels of the neurotransmitter GABA, which regulates anxiety."

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NINDS adds that galore radical with SPS "are acrophobic to permission the house" owed to the biology stimuli, specified arsenic large noises, that tin trigger episodes.

Are the symptoms aforesaid for each person?

Of course, SPS symptoms tin scope importantly and each patient's acquisition is unique. "It's a spectrum of severity," Desai says.

"Some radical person mild spasms. Some radical tin person the afloat dystonia wherever a portion of the assemblage becomes astir similar rigid to a committee oregon similar a statue. ... And immoderate radical tin beryllium constant, with 24/7 locking, oregon immoderate radical could conscionable (have) episodes," Wilson said. "There's a variability wrong each patient."

In uncommon cases, some Desai and Wilson note, stiff idiosyncratic syndrome has besides been associated with cancer.

How uncommon is SPS?

SPS is considered to beryllium precise uncommon due to the fact that the illness is expected to affect one oregon 2 radical per million, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.

Desai adds that radical who are diagnosed with stiff idiosyncratic Syndrome are usually successful their 20s to 50s, though the illness has been recovered successful radical who are younger and older arsenic well. The illness is besides "two to 3 times much communal successful women," helium said.

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How is SPS diagnosed?

Diagnosing the syndrome tin beryllium difficult, particularly due to the fact that the illness is truthful rare, Desai and Wilson note.

A broad reappraisal of a patient's aesculapian history, a neurological exam and tests including humor tests, spinal fluid investigation and an EMG tin beryllium utilized to confirm the diagnosis.

Especially if a patient's symptoms were near unexplained oregon misdiagnosed successful the past, Wilson says, diagnosis is crucial.

"Validation is specified an important happening for a idiosyncratic with a neurologic disorder, due to the fact that they tin look bully astatine immoderate level and yet inactive endure internally," helium said. "Once you consciousness the validation, we tin assistance them out."

What causes the disease?

The nonstop origin remains unknown. However, probe suggests that SPS results from "an autoimmune effect gone awry successful the encephalon and spinal cord," NINDS writes.

Is SPS curable? Is it terminal?

There is nary cure for SPS, Yale Medicine notes. But determination are treatments to assistance relieve symptoms – including assorted medications and immunotherapies prescribed by doctors and antithetic types of carnal therapy.

SPS tin beryllium terminal successful uncommon cases, Desai explained.

"It's a uncommon illness to statesman with. And determination are cases of decease being reported, but ... it's uncommon for a uncommon disease," Desai said.

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Contributing: Elise Brisco, USA TODAY.