Celine Dion, a stoic singer, has just revealed for the first time the misery she goes through whenever she attempts to sing after she was diagnosed with the incapacitating stiff person syndrome. She has stated that it feels as like "somebody is strangling" her.
The “That’s The Way It Is” hitmaker was diagnosed with the rare autoimmune neurological condition in 2022, which causes muscles to spasm incessantly and finally leads to a horrific physical lockdown that robs victims of the ability to walk and talk. The Canadian songstress, who is 56 years old, canceled all of her tour dates after receiving the diagnosis, The Daily Mail reported.
“It’s like somebody is strangling you. It’s like somebody is pushing your larynx/pharynx,” Celine revealed.
Despite the fact that there is no cure for SPS, Celine has stated that she is "determined" to return to performing onstage, therefore she is following a program that is aimed to slow down the inexorable progression of her symptoms. This regimen includes "athletic, physical, and vocal therapy" five days a week.
However, Celine acknowledges that it is a difficult struggle to fight because she experiences frequent spasms that disrupt her pitch and affect other parts of her body, such as her abdomen, spine, and ribs.
“If I point my feet, they will stay [stuck like that] or if I cook — because I love to cook — my fingers, my hands, will get in a position,” she stated, as per Billboard. It is possible for the spasms to be so intense that she has possibly broken a few ribs.
“I have broken ribs at one point because sometimes, when it’s very severe, it can break some ribs as well,” Celine explained.
Celine has not given up hope, despite the fact that she is constantly being tormented and suffers from anxieties over her future.
“Celine is not giving up on her desire to sing again. She has been working with voice coaches, band members and specialists for over six months now,” an unnamed source told Globe Magazine.
“My voice is the conductor of my life. When your voice brings you joy, you’re the best of yourself,” Celine proclaimed in her Amazon Prime special documenting her health struggles.
For starters, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, stiff person syndrome is characterized by muscle spasms and rigidity, increased sensitivity to stimuli such as sound and lighting, and mental discomfort that can produce muscle spasms.
Stiff person syndrome can also be characterized by heightened sensitivity to both of these stimuli. The NINDS stated that those who have the illness may, over the course of time, develop "hunched over postures."
As to the Cleveland Clinic, the ailment often starts with muscular stiffness in the center portion of the body, which includes the trunk and the belly. Subsequently, the condition progresses to include stiffness and spasms in the legs and other muscles.
In some cases, the muscle spasms might be "quite severe." According to Dr. Emile Sami Moukheiber, who works at the Stiff Person Syndrome Center at Johns Hopkins Medicine, they can result in physical injuries such as falls, acute pain, and considerable impairment. There is a high incidence of falls caused by severe spasms. These spasms can be brought on by a startle, particularly intense emotions, or even the chilly temperature.
