How will a diagnosis of cervical dystonia be made?

Because the symptoms and signs of cervical dystonia are often quite non specific and intermittent , e.g. your head rotating occasionally outside of your control, it may take some time for you to decide to visit your GP to talk about the symptoms that you are experiencing. It may then be difficult for your GP to be sure about the diagnosis as he/she is unlikely to see many patients with this condition and it may share some features with other movement disorders.
It is likely that your GP will refer you to a neurologist for his/her specialist opinion; it is usually the latter who confirms the diagnosis.

Doctor talking to patient

However, the diagnosis, when finally made, by either your GP or neurologist, will generally be based on some or all of the following:

Symptoms – these may include:

  • problems with neck/shoulder pain +/- tremor
  • abnormal head and/or neck movements
  • difficulties performing normal daily tasks

Findings on examination – may include:

  • noticeable thickening of some/all of the affected muscles with some limited movements
  • abnormal head/neck positions +/- tremor

There are no specific tests used to confirm this diagnosis; laboratory tests and imaging scans are usually normal and therefore do not help to diagnose cervical dystonia. 

Following diagnosis, both your GP and neurologist will look after you. How often you need to see either will depend on how your condition progresses and the treatment that you receive.

Other possible diagnoses: There are other conditions that may cause abnormal neck movements similar to cervical dystonia and which cause similar symptoms and signs. These include muscle/joint problems of the neck, including some that are present at birth, and certain eye conditions. Your doctor can explain more about these and why it is believed that you have cervical dystonia rather than one of these other conditions.