ADDER - Fighting Dystonia

<body bgcolor="#C0C0C0"> <div align="center"><center><table border="0" cellspacing="0" width="572"> <tr> <td width="31%"><p align="center"><img src="../ADDER_Logo.jpg" width="128" height="129"></td> <td valign="top" width="69%"><p align="center"><font color="#800000" size="7">A.D.D.E.R</font><font size="7">.</font></p> <p align="center"><font size="5">Action for Dystonia</font></p> <p align="center"><font size="5">Diagnosis, Education and Research</font></td> </tr> </table> </center></div><p align="center"><font size="3"><strong>Charity Registration No: 1077578</strong> </font></p> <div align="center"><center><table border="0" cellspacing="0" width="572"> <tr> <td align="center" width="10%"><font size="7" face="Arial">A</font></td> <td valign="top" width="90%"><font size="2" face="Arial">ction means 'doing something for a particular purpose' or 'movement during some physical activity' or 'something done on a particular occasion' or 'the way in which something operates or works'.</font></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center" width="10%"><font size="7" face="Arial">D</font></td> <td valign="top" width="90%"><font size="2" face="Arial">ystonia is a little known neurological condition affecting the central nervous system and consists of a group of related movement disorders, characterised by involuntary and prolonged spasms of muscle contraction.</font></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center" width="10%"><font size="7" face="Arial">D</font></td> <td valign="top" width="90%"><font size="2" face="Arial">iagnosis means 'the discovery and identification of diseases from the examination of symptoms'. Many people with Dystonia have remained undiagnosed for many years.</font></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center" width="10%"><font size="7" face="Arial">E</font></td> <td valign="top" width="90%"><font size="2" face="Arial">pidemiology means 'the branch of medical science concerned with the wide spread occurance of a disease'. We have the largest regional database of dystonia in the world !</font></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center" width="10%"><font size="7" face="Arial">R</font></td> <td valign="top" width="90%"><font size="2" face="Arial">esearch means 'the systematic investigation to establish facts or collect information on a subject'. Research in the North East of England into Dystonia has been full-time and on-going for the past seven years.</font></td> </tr> </table> </center></div><table border="0" width="100%"> <tr> <td><p align="center"><font size="4" face="Arial"><b>About A.D.D.E.R.</b></font></p> <div align="center"><center><table border="0" width="75%"> <tr> <td align="center" width="100%"><font size="2" face="Arial">Dystonia is a little known neurological condition affecting the central nervous system and consists of a group of related movement disorders, characterised by involuntary and prolonged spasms of muscle contraction. Recent medical developments means it is now treatable, although it is not yet curable. Different medications can be used but the majority of people now opt for regular injections of Botulinum Toxin which weakens those muscles in spasm thus giving temporarily relief, usually lasting about 12 weeks.</font></td> </tr> </table> </center></div><p align="center"><font size="2" face="Arial">There are different names used for dystonia as it affects different parts of the body, eg :- </font></p> <ul type="disc"> <li><p align="center"><font size="2" face="Arial">Blepharospasm affects the eyelids causing blinking and closure. </font></p> </li> <li><p align="center"><font size="2" face="Arial">Spasmodic Torticollis affects the neck causing twisting / turning. </font></p> </li> <li><p align="center"><font size="2" face="Arial">Writer's Cramp affects the hands, fingers wrist or arm. </font></p> </li> <li><p align="center"><font size="2" face="Arial">Oromandibular Dystonia affects the jaw, mouth and tongue. </font></p> </li> <li><p align="center"><font size="2" face="Arial">Hemi-Facial spasm affects one side of the face and one eye. </font></p> </li> <li><p align="center"><font size="2" face="Arial">Hemi-Dystonioa affects an arm and leg on one side of the body. </font></p> </li> <li><p align="center"><font size="2" face="Arial">Generalised Dystonia affects the whole body. </font></p> </li> </ul> <div align="center"><center><table border="0" width="75%"> <tr> <td align="center" width="100%"><font size="2" face="Arial">ADDER covers the entire country but has its roots in the North East of England where it covered Northumberland, Tyne & Wear, Co. Durham and Cleveland. Through a members current research, working with the Medical Profession we have established a database of nearly 1000 people with dystonia throughout the North East and Cumbria since we started our awareness raising campaigns in 1993. </font></td> </tr> </table> </center></div><div align="center"><center><table border="0" width="75%"> <tr> <td align="center" width="100%"><font size="2" face="Arial">There are currently a number of different groups based on Tyneside, Teesside, Durham, Darlington, Sunderland and Cumbria. The groups are run entirely by people with dystonia or who have family members with dystonia and has a 12 member volunteer Management Committee who administer the organisation. </font></td> </tr> </table> </center></div><div align="center"><center><table border="0" width="75%"> <tr> <td align="center" width="100%"><font size="2" face="Arial">Research based on the local hospitals has proven that dystonia is the 2nd most prevalent movement disorder after Parkinson's Disease and more prevalent than other better known diseases of the central nervous system such as Motor Neurone Disease. </font></td> </tr> </table> </center></div><p align="center"><font size="3" face="Arial"><strong>So why has no one heard of it?</strong></font><font size="2" face="Arial"> </font></p> <div align="center"><center><table border="0" width="369" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> <tr> <td align="center" width="365"><p align="center"><font size="4" face="Arial"><em><strong>Part of the answer lies in the fact that we have no one famous who will admit to having it! </strong></em></font></td> </tr> </table> </center></div></td> </tr> </table> <p align="center"> </p> <p> </p> </body>