Summary

The term dystonia was first coined by Herman Oppenheim in 1911, who considered the core defect a problem with muscle tone. The definition has evolved throughout the years, with the latest being published in the 2013 Movement Disorder Society Consensus Update. They defined dystonia as “a movement disorder characterized by sustained or intermittent muscle contractions causing abnormal, often repetitive movements, postures, or both” [Albanese A et al. Mov Disord 2013]. This article discusses this new classification, medical and nonsurgical treatments for dystonia, and current options for surgical treatment of dystonias.