In Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, as the trio of Harry, Hermione, and Ron are making their way through a series of adversities in the catacombs of Hogwarts to find the Stone, there is a scene in which they find themselves trapped in a magical plant called “Devil’s Snare”. Stay with me. The plant is a massive tangle of vines that move and wrap around anyone unfortunate enough to come across it.. The heroes escaping this predicament depends on knowing two key bits of information: firstly, that the plant likes the damp and dark. Secondly, as Hermione puts it in the movie to the two boys struggling against the tightening vines:

“Stop moving. This is Devil’s Snare - you have to relax”

The more you struggle against the vines, the tighter they wrap around you, and the more you sink into it. Many people living with dystonia will recognize this pattern in their own lives. It is a diagnosis that involves fluctuations in symptom intensity, prolonged periods of worsened symptoms or slow progress, and oftentimes - pushing harder and harder to try and reset the course leads to worse or stagnant symptoms, and feeling exhausted and stuck. 

If you find yourself stuck in a rut and lost in how to get unstuck and move back into the light, here are 4 things you can do instead of continuing to sink into a deeper trap: 

1. Shake things up. The brain - and especially the brain with dystonia - responds to variability. Varied practice helps the brain form new connections, extrapolate from similar movements, and create challenges that strengthen normal movement pathways. If you’re feeling stuck - consider changing your home exercise program or routine. This might mean changing the specific exercises you do day-to-day, or week-to-week. Rather than eliminating or changing the exercises entirely, it might mean examining where to put more emphasis. For example, have you been focusing primarily on motor control exercises, and not using sensory tools enough? Perhaps balance training has been neglected, or aerobic exercise - which stimulates new brain pathways. Considering whether there are limitations in strength or mobility that could be addressed. The time of day might be another factor - perhaps you are a morning person but only found time for exercise at the end of the day, then this could be a variable. 
2. Consider the environment. Maybe you have found yourself struggling to get into a rhythm with your exercises the way you have when things are going well. For patients I work with, factors in the environment often make it difficult to find the necessary nervous system state to allow for fluid, automatic movement. It might be the gym you go to being especially loud, bright, or busy, or being in public during walks or runs making it hard to stay relaxed. Sometimes, as difficult as it is to consider - it can be the people. Do you find yourself stressed with your normal workout or walking partners? Adding a day during the week in a more secluded or isolated environment to practice can give you important data about what your nervous system might be needing. 
3. Nervous System Regulation. We just discussed external environmental factors, but often just as important to the cause of symptom flares or slow progress can be the internal environment. Ask yourself honestly whether you’re spending enough time on this essential pie chart component, or if you’re yada yada-ing the autonomic component of your recovery. Don’t feel attacked personally - this applies to most people at some time. Look back at your strategies that help you find a sense of calm in your brain and body - whether it’s breathing strategies, grounding exercises, body scans, listening to calm music, having calming fidgets or sensory inputs with you, or visualization of normal movements. Think about whether you could implement these more regularly, before, during, and after your dystonia training. See for yourself how much this can affect your movement and go from there. 
4. Finally - and this is often the hardest for people I work with - take a break. Seriously. Sometimes, when you’re truly spinning your wheels - I have seen the value in removing yourself from the pattern of stress, attending to symptoms, and focusing on working harder and harder without progress. Take a break - focus on the things you enjoy that are unrelated to your dystonia - family, recreation, cooking, art, watching movies or TV, reading, meditating, life stuff. This is a long-term diagnosis - release yourself from the obligation to constantly work without a break - because one week off training will not affect your symptoms a year from now. The trajectory of dystonia progress is not a straight line, and stepping back lets you consider your wins and progress rather than just the current rough patch, and see the big picture of where you are. Giving yourself permission to take your mind off the recovery process can be freeing, and allow you to return with a fresh energy and perspective. 

At re+active, we can say from experience and understanding of the principles of dystonia recovery, that any of these changes has profound capacity to change your trajectory and get you back on the path to recovery. Crucially, considering these factors gives you a chance to break the cycle of pushing harder and increasing stress around symptoms, take a breath, and regroup. When you’re feeling stuck, simply taking a step back, and finding calmness within yourself before finding a new path forward will not always lead to immediate progress - but it will never hurt, and it will often be the key to success. I hope this guide will be the first step in that process for you. So let’s listen to Hermione’s wise words and for a moment - stop moving, try to relax, and move forward. The light is just on the other side when you do. 

If you are interested in learning more about Re+active’s approach to dystonia recovery, and how you can make positive changes - we’re here to help. 

• Sign up for our dystonia freebie: a free guide for people with dystonia
• apply for a program on our website
• become a dystonia education class member 
• and share this article with anyone you know with dystonia 

Dr. Lincoln Beal, PT, DPT, NCS 

Physical Therapist 

Dystonia Program Director 

re+active Therapy and Wellness 

References: 

1. Sadnicka A, Kornysheva K, Rothwell JC, Edwards MJ. A unifying motor control framework for task-specific dystonia. Nat Rev Neurol. 2018;14(2):116-124. doi:10.1038/nrneurol.2017.146
2.  https://www.youtube.com/shorts/WnJpVCYsDuU