Focal Dystonia
Focal Dystonia in Dispokinesis Practice
Focal dystonia is an ailment affecting the body’s motor control system. The symptoms can be traced back to a change in the area of the somatosensory cortex. For this reason, the becoming aware one’s own disposition and the deepening of the sensorimotor feedback takes a leading position in the retraining process offered by Dispokinesis. Basic exercises for fine motor skills of the fingers or the muscles surrounding the mouth for embouchure dystonia contribute to re-establishing a muscular balance and the fine motor skills’ functionality.
These are the prerequisites to resolve stereotypical patterns in small steps on the instrument – by means of “original” concepts of movement. “Original” relates to the typology of stereotypical patterns: they are mostly artificially acquired and over-trained movement patterns, which could not me integrated into a natural and personal movement pattern, but which “segregated” themselves over time.
Dystonic patterns are highly specific. This is meant both in relation to the instrument setting (though sometimes such a pattern effects everyday movements, too) as well as the “history” of the pattern. i.e. how it came to exist. Re-trainings are being tailored to the individual, a prognosis is not possible in advance. The approach towards focal dystonia from the Dispokinesis perspective has been extraordinarily successful. However, this work requires that the subject dedicate his/her time to an in-depth and often long process.
For further reading:
www.dispokinesis-praxis.de
Download: Die Vertreibung aus dem Paradies, Angelika Stockmann, Zeitschrift der Gesellschaft für Musikphysiologie und Musikermedizin 1/2010 (available in German only)
