Celine Dion has Stiff Person Syndrome (SPS), which results in her muscles tensing up uncontrollably.

As the body gradually locks into stiff positions, rendering sufferers unable to walk or speak, the illness ultimately renders victims as “human statues.”

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While there is no known cure for SPS, there are treatments to slow down the disease’s course, and Celine says she is making every effort to reduce symptoms.

The 54-year-old singer apologised to her followers in an emotional Instagram post on Thursday, confessing that she had to postpone her European tour due to it.

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What is Stiff Person Syndrome?

A rare neurological condition called stiff-person syndrome (SPS) resembles an autoimmune disease. SPS is characterised by varying levels of muscle rigidity in the trunk and limbs as well as an increased sensitivity to stimuli including noise, touch, and emotional distress that can cause muscle spasms.

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The disease is characterised by abnormal postures, which are frequently slumped over and inflexible. Because street noises, like the sound of a horn, can produce spasms and falls, people with SPS may be unable to walk or move, or they may be scared to leave the house. Women are twice as likely to develop SPS as men. It frequently co-occurs with autoimmune conditions such thyroiditis, vitiligo, diabetes, and pernicious anaemia.

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Although studies suggests that SPS is the result of an immunological reaction that went wrong in the brain and spinal cord, the exact origin of SPS is still unknown. The condition is frequently diagnosed incorrectly as Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, a psychosomatic ailment, anxiety, and phobia.

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A blood test that assesses the quantity of glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) antibodies in the blood can provide a conclusive diagnosis. Increased levels of GAD, an antibody that fights an enzyme involved in the manufacture of a critical neurotransmitter in the brain, are found in individuals with SPS.