Musician’s Dystonia
Dystonia is a condition in which a person’s muscles involuntary contract. It can be a painful and debilitating condition and sadly there is no cure, however, treatment can help. While it is unknown what specifically causes dystonia, the disorder does seem to be related to the basal ganglia. The basal ganglia help to felicitate movement by influencing areas of the brain.
A subcategory of the condition is known as musician’s dystonia (or focal dystonia) impacts about 1% of professional music players. It most often affects the fingers, causing them to curl or bend awkwardly. Another type is known as embouchure dystonia, this type tends to affect the face resulting in locking of the jaw, trembling of the lips or any number of aversive side effects. Naturally, it goes without saying that a condition such as these could lead to negative consequences on a person’s career.
Humans are resilient beings as such there are some who are able to cope and deal with seemingly impossible circumstances. David Leisner is one such example. In 1984 David first started noticing signs of a mysterious hand condition, two of his fingers would involuntary curl into the palm of his hand. Being a professional guitarist, this presented a problem. He spent the next five years going to different specialists in hopes of finding a solution. Gradually he reduced the number of concerts he would perform all before quitting altogether. David Leisner eventually found a self-cure that worked for him. His cure involved making use of different muscles in his arm eventually he was able to play in front of audiences again.
Other case studies exist where musicians with dystonia are able to learn how to play despite their limitations, whether it’s only playing with one hand, or altering their methods entirely. Roy T. Benner put it best “Life is about accepting the challenges along the way, choosing to keep moving forward, and savoring the journey.”