Pain and quality of life in the treatment of cervical dystonia

Abstract

Cervical dystonia (CD) is a chronic movement disorder characterised by abnormal postures of the neck. Although muscle contractions represent the most visible disease feature, associated symptoms such as pain are frequent and relevant contributors to disability. At the same time, pain constitutes one of the most important factors in terms of poor quality of life (QoL) and is one of the more affected QoL domains in CD patients. However, the mechanism underlying the pain associated with CD remains unclear. There are no therapeutic controlled trials that have evaluated pain or QoL as primary outcomes, but the available data suggest that therapeutic interventions that improve dystonia also alleviate pain and have a beneficial effect on QoL. The management of CD should incorporate problems such as pain, depression and anxiety in order to achieve a significant decrease in the burden of disease. © TOUCH BRIEFINGS 2009.