Melbourne NeuroCare provides specialist assessment and treatment for cervical dystonia, facial dystonia, limb dystonia and other complex movement disorders.
Dystonia is a neurological movement disorder that causes involuntary muscle contractions. These contractions can lead to abnormal postures, twisting movements, tremor, muscle spasms, pain or difficulty controlling movement.
Dystonia can affect different parts of the body, including the neck, face, eyes, jaw, voice, hand, arm, leg or multiple areas at once. For some people, symptoms are mild and task-specific. For others, dystonia can be painful, socially distressing and significantly disruptive to work, driving, writing, walking, speaking, reading and everyday activities.
At Melbourne NeuroCare, our Dystonia Clinic provides specialist assessment and personalised treatment for people living with focal, segmental and complex dystonia. Care may include toxin injection treatment, medication review, physiotherapy guidance and consideration of advanced therapies in selected cases.
A clear diagnosis, careful muscle selection and an individualised treatment plan for patients with dystonia and related movement disorders.
Our neurologists assess and treat a wide range of dystonia presentations, including:
Dystonia can look different from person to person. Symptoms may be constant, intermittent or triggered by specific tasks.
Common symptoms include:
If you have unexplained muscle pulling, abnormal posture, tremor, spasms or movement difficulty, a specialist neurological assessment can help clarify the diagnosis and guide treatment.
Dystonia can be difficult to diagnose. It may be mistaken for muscle strain, arthritis, anxiety, tremor, tics, functional symptoms or other neurological conditions.
Our neurologists assess the pattern of movement, affected muscles, triggers, task-specific symptoms, neurological signs and possible underlying causes. The goal is to identify the type of dystonia and determine the most suitable management plan.
Toxin injection treatment may be used to relax selected overactive muscles and reduce abnormal postures, spasms, pain and movement difficulty.
This treatment is tailored to the individual pattern of dystonia. The aim is to reduce excessive muscle activity while preserving useful movement and function.
Muscle selection is one of the most important parts of dystonia treatment.
In cervical dystonia, for example, injections may target specific neck muscles depending on the direction of head pulling, posture, tremor pattern and pain distribution. In facial or limb dystonia, treatment is planned around the muscles responsible for the most troublesome symptoms.
Some dystonia presentations require additional precision. Depending on the case, injections may be guided clinically, with EMG or ultrasound support.
This can help improve accuracy when treating deeper muscles, complex movement patterns or cases where previous treatment response has been limited.
Some patients may benefit from medication, particularly when dystonia is more widespread, associated with another neurological condition or not suitable for injection-based treatment alone.
Our neurologists can review current medications, consider suitable treatment options and help reduce medications that may be contributing to symptoms where relevant.
Targeted physiotherapy may help improve posture, reduce compensatory pain and support better movement patterns.
Where appropriate, we may recommend physiotherapy with clinicians experienced in neurological movement disorders. This can be especially helpful for cervical dystonia, limb dystonia, gait changes and postural compensation.
For severe, generalised or treatment-resistant dystonia, advanced therapies such as deep brain stimulation may be considered in selected patients.
Melbourne NeuroCare can assess suitability, explain available options and coordinate appropriate referral pathways where needed.
Melbourne NeuroCare provides specialist neurological care for patients with movement disorders, dystonia and neurotoxin-treated conditions.
Our Dystonia Clinic focuses on accurate diagnosis, careful muscle selection and long-term management. Treatment is personalised to the patient’s symptoms, goals, functional needs and response over time.
Our care aims to help patients:
Many forms of dystonia can be managed and symptoms may improve with the right treatment plan. Treatment depends on the type of dystonia, the muscles involved, symptom severity and whether there is an underlying neurological condition.
No. Tremor usually refers to rhythmic shaking, while dystonia involves involuntary muscle contractions and abnormal postures. Some patients have dystonic tremor, where tremor occurs as part of the dystonia pattern.
Cervical dystonia affects the neck muscles. It may cause the head to turn, tilt, pull forward, pull backward or sit in an abnormal posture. It can also cause neck pain, muscle tightness and dystonic head tremor.
Blepharospasm is a form of focal dystonia affecting the muscles around the eyes. It can cause excessive blinking, eye squeezing or involuntary eye closure, which may interfere with reading, driving or daily activities.
The effect of toxin injection treatment is temporary and usually requires repeat treatment at regular intervals. Timing varies depending on the condition, response and individual treatment plan.
Not always. Toxin injection treatment is often useful for focal dystonia affecting specific muscles, but broader or more complex dystonia may require other treatments as well. A neurologist can advise whether injections are suitable
Physiotherapy may help some patients, particularly when dystonia causes posture changes, compensatory pain or movement restriction. It is usually most helpful when guided by clinicians familiar with neurological movement disorders.
You should consider specialist assessment if you have unexplained muscle pulling, twisting, abnormal posture, tremor, spasms, eye closure, jaw clenching, hand cramping or foot turning that is affecting your comfort, function or quality of life.
Book an appointment with the Melbourne NeuroCare Dystonia Clinic if you are experiencing abnormal muscle pulling, spasms, tremor, posturing or symptoms of a complex movement disorder.
📞 Call 1300 080 784 or Book Online to arrange your Dystonia Clinic appointment at Melbourne Neurocare.
