Céline Dion has been forced to reschedule a European tour after being diagnosed with stiff person syndrome, a rare neurological disorder that causes spasms and other physical difficulties. She said the syndrome, which is relatively under-researched, has impaired her ability to walk and sing.
“I’ve been dealing with problems with my health for a long time,” Dion said in a video statement, which you can view below. “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 the stiff person syndrome which affects something like one in a million people. While we’re still learning about this rare condition, we now know this is what’s been causing all of the spasms I’ve been having.”
She added, “Unfortunately, these spasms affect every aspect of my daily life, sometimes causing difficulties when I walk and not allowing me to use my vocal cords to sing the way I’m used to. It hurts me to tell you today that this means I won’t be ready to restart my tour in Europe in February.” Her dates from May through July have been rescheduled to 2024; dates from August to October are currently scheduled to go ahead as planned.
Dion said she is working with a sports medicine therapist to rebuild her strength, but the syndrome is thought to be incurable. Treatments including anti-anxiety medicines and muscle relaxants can slow down its progression, according to the National Institute for Neurological Disorders.
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