Celine Dion has stiff man syndrome, a very debilitating autoimmune disease that once again prevents her from performing her scheduled concerts, she said in a statement.
- Celine Dion, suffering from stiff man syndrome, had to cancel all her concerts scheduled until the spring of 2024.
- This syndrome, which is extremely rare, causes acute pain as well as difficulty in moving, preventing physically demanding activities.
- To date, there are no perfectly effective treatments to combat this pathology.
For all the fans who were waiting to finally see her in concert, the disappointment is great: Celine Dion had to cancel all her concerts scheduled until April 2024 for health reasons. Ihe Quebec star had already announced in December that she was canceling or postponing the concerts planned in Europe between February and July 2023. She suffers from stiff man syndrome, a rare neurological disease.
The stiff man syndrome prevents Celine Dion from singing
This syndrome is a disorder of the central nervous system that causes muscle stiffness and progressive spasms, experts explain. MSD Manual :
“The clinical manifestations of stiff-man syndrome are similar across all types. Stiffness, rigidity and muscle spasms develop insidiously in the trunk, abdomen and, to a lesser degree, in the legs and arms. The patients are otherwise normal and the examination shows only hypertrophy and muscle stiffness. Stiff-person syndrome usually progresses, leading to disability and full-body stiffness.” The exact cause of this condition is unknown but likely autoimmune in origin.
This pathology, which affects one to two people in a million, seriously handicaps the Canadian singer. She explained last December on social networks that she was having difficulty walking and using her vocal cords as she would like.
“I’m trying very hard to get my strength back, but touring can be very difficult (…) It’s better that we cancel everything now, until I’m really ready to go back on stage.”said the 55-year-old singer, quoted in the press release taken up by AFP.
Stiff-man syndrome: imperfect treatments
Patients with stiff-man syndrome also suffer from painful muscle spasms, triggered by various stimuli (loud or sudden noises, emotions such as fear, etc.) which can cause severe falls and fractures.
“The disease can be very disabling after several years of evolution. One of the few patients I have encountered in my career could not walk more than 2-3 steps at the time she was diagnosed and the spasms of her chest muscles made it difficult for her to breathe, causing a transient lack of oxygen.“, testifies Dr. Carole Henry, neurologist and head of service at the hospital center of Saint-Denis, in the Figaro.
If treatments exist – benzodiazepines (like diazepam) in high doses, or baclofen (a muscle relaxant), they are not always effective. “Our patients may remain bothered to varying degrees by stiffness or pain”emphasizes Dr. Henry.
Concerning Celine Dion, “lmedical team that accompanies Céline follows the evolution of the disease and its treatment“, said his entourage.
