“Paralyzed on the left side at 22”: Jang Jane’s battle with illness, which made even playing guitar difficult [Health Talk]

[Financial News] Singer Jang Jane, 35, said she was diagnosed with hemiplegic dystonia after working in her early 20s while sleeping just two hours a day. She said symptoms appeared on the left side of her body, making even playing guitar difficult. Dystonia is a neurological disorder in which muscles contract involuntarily, causing abnormal movements or postures.
On the 6th, a video titled “I Went to Seongsu and Rated the Fashion” was posted on the Jang Jane YouTube channel.
In the video, Jang Jane explained why she had taken a long break from her music career and opened up about health problems she experienced around the age of 22 or 23.
Jang Jane recalled what life was like at the time, saying, “I was really busy when I was 22 or 23. I had so much work that I slept only two hours a day and handled five or six events a day.” She added, “All that accumulated stress led to a diagnosis of hemiplegic dystonia.”
Jang Jane said she had particular difficulty playing guitar. “I always put strain on my left side when I played guitar, and the (paralysis) affected the left side, which I used a lot. I became afraid to play guitar,” she said.
The physical difficulties also affected how Jang Jane thought about her music career.
Jang Jane said, “I hated seeing people play guitar. I thought, ‘I’m having a hard time playing, but that person is playing so well.’ That’s when I realized how frightening a sense of victimhood can be.” Jang Jane said her perspective changed after coming to terms with her condition.

Jang Jane rose to prominence after appearing on Mnet’s Superstar K2 in 2010 and has since worked as a singer-songwriter.



The dystonia Jang Jane said she was diagnosed with is a disorder caused by a problem in the nervous system’s control of muscle movement.
According to the U.S. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), dystonia is a movement disorder in which muscles repeatedly contract involuntarily, causing the body to twist or assume abnormal postures.

Symptoms may occur in one part of the body or affect multiple areas. The neck may turn to one side, or the fingers may feel stiff, and the arms and legs may move into abnormal positions.
Prolonged muscle contractions may also cause pain or tremors. In severe cases, people may have difficulty with everyday activities such as walking, writing and grasping objects.
Dystonia is classified according to the part of the body where symptoms occur. When it affects only one body part, it is called focal dystonia; when it affects the arm and leg on the same side, it is called hemidystonia.

NINDS defines hemidystonia as dystonia that affects the arm and leg on one side of the body.
However, the abnormal muscle contractions seen in dystonia differ in cause and symptoms from typical hemiplegia caused by a stroke or other conditions. The term “hemiplegic dystonia” used by Jang Jane alone is not enough to determine the specific type of the condition or whether there is nerve damage.

In some cases, dystonia symptoms occur only when a person performs a particular movement.
One example is task-specific focal dystonia. It is characterized by abnormal muscle contractions during repetitive, precise movements such as writing or playing an instrument.
According to MedlinePlus of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, dystonia in musicians can interfere with fine movements of the hands and wrists.
When playing the piano, guitar, violin or other instruments, fingers may bend or straighten involuntarily, and playing speed and accuracy may decline.
Some patients have no major problems with other activities but experience symptoms only when playing an instrument.
People with dystonia may have difficulty working when they can no longer properly perform movements they were accustomed to. Even small changes in motor function can significantly affect a musician’s playing, especially when precise finger movements and control of force are important.
Jang Jane said only that paralysis symptoms appeared on the left side of her body; she has not disclosed whether medical professionals separately diagnosed her with musician’s dystonia.

Jang Jane said she was diagnosed with dystonia because of stress that built up during a period when she slept only two hours a day and handled multiple events.
In fact, fatigue and stress are known to worsen symptoms in some people with dystonia.
NINDS says dystonia symptoms may initially occur only when a person is stressed or tired. For some patients, tension and fatigue can make muscle contractions more severe.
However, it cannot be concluded that stress alone causes dystonia.
Dystonia is a disorder involving a problem with how the brain controls muscle movement, and in many cases its cause is not clearly known.
Genetic factors may play a role, and dystonia may also result from other neurological conditions such as stroke, brain injury or Parkinson’s disease, or from the effects of certain medications.

A neurological examination to assess the parts of the body where symptoms occur and the characteristics of the movements is important in diagnosing dystonia. Medical professionals check the circumstances in which muscles contract abnormally, when symptoms began and how they have progressed.
If symptoms occur during a particular movement, medical professionals may ask the patient to perform that movement so they can assess the muscles’ response. NINDS says diagnosis draws on the patient’s medical history, neurological examination and family history, among other factors.
Depending on the case, tests may include blood tests, electromyography, brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and genetic testing.
In particular, if symptoms occur only on one side of the body or are accompanied by other neurological abnormalities, it may be necessary to check whether a structural problem in the brain or another condition is responsible.
Some people with dystonia have no abnormalities on brain MRI, so the condition cannot be ruled out based on imaging results alone.

Treatment for dystonia varies depending on the type and extent of symptoms and their cause.
Some patients receive medication, and botulinum toxin injections may be considered when contractions in specific muscles are severe.
The International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society (MDS) describes dystonia as a movement disorder commonly treated with botulinum toxin injections.
Botulinum toxin is injected into muscles that contract excessively to temporarily reduce their contractions. It is used for conditions including cervical dystonia, in which the neck muscles turn abnormally, eyelid spasms, and some forms of dystonia affecting the hands and arms.
Because the effects are not permanent, treatment may be repeated at regular intervals depending on the patient’s condition.
For musicians who need precise finger movements, it is important to reduce muscle contractions while maintaining the strength they need. If botulinum toxin injections make the muscles too weak, playing may become even more difficult.
Dystonia Europe, a European dystonia patients’ organization, says rehabilitation that retrains sensation and movement can be used to treat dystonia in musicians.
Patients can receive training to reduce incorrect compensatory movements and regain control of their finger and wrist movements.
Some patients receive medication together with botulinum toxin injections. If symptoms are severe and do not respond adequately to other treatments, surgical options such as deep brain stimulation may also be considered.
NINDS says that because dystonia varies from patient to patient in the areas affected, symptoms and progression, treatment should also be tailored to each individual. It adds that people who have difficulty with work or daily activities because of abnormal muscle contractions should be evaluated by a neurologist who specializes in movement disorders.


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