Sen. Wilkinson Brings Awareness To Dystonia At State Capitol

john wilkinson50th District State Senator John Wilkinson brings awareness to a neurological movement disorder at the State Capitol.

Wilkinson honored Dystonia Awareness Day at the State Capitol last Wednesday.

Dystonia is a neurological movement disorder characterized by involuntary muscle contractions that affects an estimated 300,000 people in North America.

It often results in painful and debilitating body positions for those who are affected by it.

People can be diagnosed at any age and symptoms are not the same in every patient.

Senator Wilkinson said among those affected by Dystonia is his wife, Debbie, who first noticed symptoms in 2006 when excessive, involuntary blinking began to impair her vision.

She underwent a procedure in 2011 called Deep Brain Stimulation Surgery that dramatically improved her symptoms and pain.

Debbie Wilkinson now partners with the Dystonia Medical Research Facility to lead the North Georgia Dystonia Support Group.

Senator Wilkinson said it is urgent to bring awareness to Dystonia because so many people are misdiagnosed, which in turn delays proper treatment.

On Dystonia Awareness Day last Wednesday, Georgia Governor Nathan Deal presented members of a Dystonia advocacy and education group called Tyler’s Hope with a proclamation recognizing September as Dystonia Awareness Month in Georgia.