Céline Dion was diagnosed with stiff-person syndrome. Here's how it affects people The singer Céline Dion said that she has finall...
Céline Dion was diagnosed with stiff-person syndrome. Here's how it affects people
The singer Céline Dion said that she has finally found out what is wrong with her and why she has had to cancel and reschedule shows over the past year.
In a tearful social media post on Wednesday, the "My Heart Will Go On" singer said she has the stiff-person syndrome, a rare and incurable neurological condition that causes severe muscle spasms and stiffening in the limbs.
"Unfortunately, these spasms affect every part of my daily life. Sometimes they make it hard for me to walk, and I can't use my vocal cords to sing the way I used to," Céline Dion said in an emotional Instagram video that she posted in both English and French, her native language.
Céline Dion, who is 54 years old, has had to cancel and postpone a lot of shows in the last year because of health problems, which she has called "severe and persistent muscle spasms."
In 2020, Céline Dion was in the middle of a long concert tour when the pandemic happened. It was supposed to start up again in February with 50 more shows, but eight of them have been canceled and 23 have been moved to 2024.
Dion said with a tear in his eye, "I only know how to sing." "I've been doing it my whole life, and it's what I love the most."
The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Strokes, which is part of the National Institutes of Health, says that stiff-person syndrome is a neurological disorder that looks like an autoimmune disease.
The disorder causes "fluctuating muscle rigidity" and spasms that can be caused by things like loud noise, cold temperatures, or sudden movement. The spasms can cause or make falls worse, which can cause more harm.
The disorder is marked by abnormal postures that are often hunched and stiff. People with SPS may be unable to walk or move, or they may be afraid to leave the house because loud sounds on the street, like a car horn, can cause spasms and falls, according to the Institute.
It's rare to have the stiff-person syndrome. The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine says that "only about one or two in a million people" get it.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) says that researchers don't fully understand what causes the disorder, but it could be caused by an autoimmune disorder in the brain and spinal cord. People with SPS have more antibodies that go after an enzyme that makes a key neurotransmitter in the brain.
Doctors say that the disorder can't be cured, but that treatment with muscle relaxants and drugs that stop seizures can help improve and control symptoms.
In her statement, Céline Dion said that her three children give her strength and that she thinks she's on the way to getting better.
She said, "I'm working hard every day with my sports medicine therapist to get my strength and ability to perform back." "But I have to say that it has been hard."
Dion is one of the singers who has had the most success. She has sold more than 200 million records around the world. Her singles "My Heart Will Go On," "The Power of Love," and "It's All Coming Back to Me Now" have all reached No. 1 on the Billboard charts. Her long-term stays in Las Vegas have been some of the most profitable ever.
In 2023, the singer was supposed to start a new residency at Resorts World Las Vegas. It's not clear when this residency will start. It's been put off more than once since 2021. In May, when "Love Again," a romantic comedy with Priyanka Chopra, is set to come out, she will also make her acting debut.
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