[imagesource: Wikimedia Commons]

What Celine Dion is suffering from may sound like something along the lines of ‘resting bitch face’, but really it is an unusual, chronic, irreversible, and incurable neurological disorder.

The 54-year-old Canadian singer has had to cancel her Courage World Tour dates planned for 2023 because of her health struggle with stiff-person syndrome.

She made the announcement with an emotionally-charged Instagram post explaining her condition and her deep regret for not being able to see her fans any time soon.

Dion also had to delay her Las Vegas residency in 2021 and postponed tour dates earlier this year due to these persistent health issues.

Unfortunately, her much-anticipated European shows planned for February 2023 until 2024, including dates in the UK, Greece and Romania, have been cancelled altogether, notes Sky News:

“As you know, I’ve always been an open book and I wasn’t ready to say anything before, but I’m ready now,” Dion said. “I’ve been dealing with problems with my health for a long time and it’s been really difficult for me to face these challenges and to talk about everything that I’ve been going through.

“Recently I’ve been diagnosed with a very rare neurological disorder called stiff person syndrome, which effects something like one in a million people.

She told fans that she has been suffering spasms “that affect every aspect” of her life, causing difficulty when she walks and preventing her from using her vocal cords properly:

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Céline Dion (@celinedion)

Dion has been seeing her doctor regularly and she has been working hard with her sports medicine therapist every day to build back her strength and ability to perform again. She admits that “it’s been a struggle”.

So what is stiff-person syndrome exactly? The Washinton Post spoke with neurologists and a pain specialist to answer all the questions about the unusual disorder:

Stiff-person syndrome (SPS) is a rare, chronic neurological disorder that causes muscle stiffness and sometimes intense muscle spasms in the trunk and limbs, affecting posture, balance and the ability to use certain muscles.

It usually has an autoimmune component and, in some cases, it can be progressive and painful, experts say.

Basically, because it is thought to be an autoimmune disorder, when the nervous system becomes overly excited, it can send too many signals to the muscles, causing them to stiffen or spasm. This can inhibit basic functions like walking and talking, as it can affect muscles that control the eyes, speech, singing, or swallowing.

The muscle spasms are what neurologists call “stimulus sensitive” and can be provoked by a sudden noise, light touch, or even emotional distress – so a concert tour is a big no-no.

Apparently, it is also incredibly painful:

“Just imagine having the worst Charley Horse you can have but it’s affecting a ton of muscles in your lower back and legs — and it’s constant. It’s very painful,” said Kunal Desai, assistant professor of neurology at Yale University.

…“And when the pain occurs it’s very debilitating no matter what position, he added. “There’s basically no comfortable position for them to stay, either sitting or laying.”

Experts say the syndrome does not typically have an effect on longevity per se unless muscles used for breathing or swallowing are compromised.

But if symptoms are well-controlled, patients can live a relatively normal life.

[sources:washingtonpost&skynews]