How To Treat Dystonia

Selective Denervation Surgery

When an individual's cervical dystonia does not respond to other methods of dystonia treatment, selective denervation surgery may be considered. Selective denervation surgery works by disrupting the nerve impulse pathways causing a patient's abnormal movements. One of several mechanisms can be used to sever specific nerves close to the spinal cord that channel to the nerve roots located deep in the patient's neck. Another mechanism of selective denervation surgery involves the careful selection of certain nerves to be removed at the junction where they enter into the muscles affected by the abnormal contractions. The surgeon uses electromyography technology to direct and help them identify the muscles involved in the individual's dystonia during selective denervation surgeries. This type of surgery has shown to be successful at treating some symptoms of dystonia that affect an individual's neck muscles, but only highly specialized institutions offer the procedure. A small number of cervical dystonia patients are eligible for the procedure, and extensive physical therapy is required following the denervation surgery.

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