Inside Celine Dion’s Heartbreaking Condition

You may have seen world-renowned singer Celine Dion share what it’s like living with stiff-person syndrome (SPS) in her new documentary. SPS is a rare, progressive neurological disorder that causes muscle stiffness and spasms primarily in the torso and limbs. Dion revealed in 2022 that it caused severe spasms that prevented her from walking, talking and, unfortunately, singing.

This syndrome used to be called “stiff man syndrome,” but the name was updated to be more inclusive, as the condition can affect people of any age and sex. The two main symptoms of SPS - muscle stiffness and muscle spasms - can develop at any age, but they most often begin in your 30s and 40s, and the severity varies from person-to-person. Symptoms can take several months to a few years to develop. Some people’s symptoms stay the same for years, while others experience slowly worsening symptoms, including more severe spasticity/rigidity, which can limit their ability to perform daily activities. Some triggers of SDS symptoms include unexpected or loud noises, physical touch or stimulations, changes in temperature, including cold environments, and stressful events.

There’s no cure for stiff-person syndrome, but doctors focus on relieving patients' symptoms using medications including sedatives, muscle relaxants and steroids. Immunotherapies, like an infusion of immunoglobulin, have also been shown to reduce people’s stiffness. Researchers don’t know the exact cause of SPS, but they think it’s an autoimmune condition in which your immune system attacks healthy cells for unknown reasons. It’s important to keep in mind that stiff-person syndrome is very rare and affects only about 1 out of every 1 million people.