Canadian singer Celine Dion revealed on Thursday that she is suffering from a rare neurological disorder called stiff-person syndrome that causes painful spasms and muscle stiffness. The renowned singer posted on Instagram about postponing the rest of her world tour.
Stiff-Person Syndrome (SPS) is also called Moersch-Woltman syndrome. The disease is a rare neurological condition that does have any cure, unfortunately. The Grammy-winning singer announced in her emotional video message where she is seen fighting back tears that she is suffering from SPS, which makes it difficult for her to walk and causes painful spasms.
What Is Stiff-Person Syndrome?
SPS is a disease having features of an autoimmune disease. It affects the central nervous system and leads to an increased sensitivity to touch, emotional distress, and noise. NORD (National Organization for Rare Disorders) reports that SSP affects one in a million people. Those suffering from SPS are usually in their 40s or 50s. However, it can affect older adults as well as children.
The rare autoimmune disorder affects women more often than men. The symptoms of the disorder usually surface during middle age. Those suffering from conditions like rheumatoid arthritis and lupus are more prone to suffer from the stiff-person syndrome.
Although the exact cause of this disorder is not determined yet, some scientists believe it to be a type of autoimmune disorder that develops when the immune system mistakenly attacks the brain and spinal cord cells. The immune system attacks a protein GAD (glutamine acid decarboxylase) that facilitates the production of the protein GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid. GABA controls the motor neurons that are responsible for managing body movement. An insufficient amount of this protein makes the nervous system affect normal movement.
About 80% of SPS patients’ blood contains antibodies in their blood and spinal fluid that indicate their immune system attacking GAD proteins.
Celine’s Heartfelt Message For Her Fans
This condition is severely affecting Dion’s ability to perform. As per the singer’s Instagram video, “The spasms affect every aspect of my daily life sometimes causing difficulties when I walk and not allowing me to use my vocal cords to sing the way I’m used to.”
According to Dion, she has to postpone the dates of her European tour so she can get better. The artist revealed, choking up, that she has a great team of capable doctors working with her so she gets better. She also talked about her children and how they support her and give her hope. For Celine, getting better has been a tough challenge.
Although the Canadian singer didn’t mention the treatments she is getting for the disease, she admitted that her path to recovery has been challenging. In the video posted on Instagram on Thursday, Dion mentioned how hard she is working with her sports medicine therapist every day to regain her strength and her ability to perform.
“All I know is singing. It’s what I’ve done all my life, and it’s what I love to do the most.” The singer ended her video message full of love for her fans and optimism.
