Musicians' Focal Dystonia
​
In musicians, focal dystonia most commonly affects the hands, fingers, or jaw and can lead to difficulty playing one's instrument or even an inability to play altogether. It usually affects the area of the body that has the heaviest workload whilst playing, such as the right hand of a pianist or the embouchure of a trombonist.
​
The exact causes of focal dystonia are not completely understood, but it is believed to be a combination of physiological, psychological, and psychosocial factors. Symptoms of focal dystonia in musicians include difficulty playing specific notes or chords, an awkward or uncomfortable playing posture, and the feeling of the fingers or embouchure "locking", "sticking", "shaking", or "curling inwards" while playing. These symptoms can be debilitating for a musician, making it difficult or impossible to perform or practice.
​
Treatments and therapies for focal dystonia in musicians typically focus on retraining the affected muscles and helping the musician adapt to the condition. This can include physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy, as well as techniques such as the Alexander Technique and the Feldenkrais Method. Medications such as botulinum toxin (Botox) injections can also be used to help relax the affected muscles.
​
Although not physically disabling, nor clearly visible to others, it is a distressing condition for the sufferer. It may only manifest itself when playing a very specific sequence of notes in a particular passage of music, or it may occur every time that the instrument is picked up. Whichever form it takes there are now several positive steps that can be taken toward recovery and partial or even total remission of symptoms.