What is Celine Dion's health update? Singer loses muscle control amid battle with Stiff-person syndrome

Celine Dion, who's been battling with stiff-person syndrome since last year, has lost control over her muscles. Her sister, Claudette Dion, in an interview at the Canadian news show 7 Jours, revealed Celine's health condition and said she could no longer control specific body movements. She said:

"What breaks my heart is that she's always been disciplined. She's always worked hard. Our mother always told her, 'You're going to do it well, you're going to do it properly."

According to Claudette, Celine had not surrendered to her condition. Stiff Person Syndrome is a rare autoimmune neurological disorder that supposedly affects just one person per million. It is an incurable disease that affects the central nervous system and can cause debilitating muscular spasms.

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What is Stiff-person syndrome?

People who have stiff-person syndrome frequently have severe muscle spasms that can send them falling, as well as rigidity in their limbs and torso. The spasms can come on suddenly or be brought on by specific triggers, such as touch, loud noises, or emotional distress.

When you're stiff, your muscles can't relax because the pathways that control your movement are under attack. Muscles are unable to deactivate themselves once they begin to contract. The general stiffness of the body makes it harder to walk and might lead to permanent disability.

Anxieties and despair are more common in people suffering from the Stiff-person Syndrome. Reasons for this may be the patients' reduced levels of the anxiety-regulating neurotransmitter GABA and the unpredictability of the disease itself. Most people start to notice symptoms between the ages of 30 and 60.

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What is Celine Dion's health update on her Stiff-person Syndrome?

According to a statement on the celebrity's social media accounts, singer Celine Dion canceled her "Courage World Tour" dates through 2024 owing to complications from stiff person syndrome, the rare neurological ailment she's been suffering from. The singer said:

"While we’re still learning about this rare condition, we now know this is what’s been causing all of the spasms that I’ve been having. Unfortunately, these spasms affect every aspect of my daily life, sometimes causing difficulties when I walk and not allowing me to use my vocal cords to sing the way I’m used to."

A source close to CNN reportedly said that despite regular therapy, she was in great pain. Having announced the cancellation of her tour on her Instagram handle, Dion was quoted as saying:

"I’m so sorry to disappoint all of you once again. I’m working really hard to build back my strength, but touring can be very difficult even when you’re 100%. It’s not fair to you to keep postponing the shows, and even though it breaks my heart, it’s best that we cancel everything now until I’m really ready to be back on stage again. I want you all to know, I’m not giving up… and I can’t wait to see you again!"

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What did Celine Dion's sister say about her health?

Claudette Dion recently spoke about her sister's condition in an interview with Hello! Canada magazine, says that Celine is a strong woman doing her best to recover. She said that, unfortunately, there is currently no cure for stiff-person syndrome, so the family is resting their hopes on the medical professionals to find a remedy for this awful illness. She said:

"It’s an illness we know so little about. There are spasms – they’re impossible to control. You know who people often jump up in the night because of a cramp in the leg or the calf? It’s a bit like that, but in all muscles. There’s little we can do to support her, to alleviate her pain."

Claudette also told Canada's 7 Jours that although it looked bleak, Celine looked forward to performing again. She said:

"It’s true that in both our dreams and hers, the goal is to return to the stage. In what capacity? I don’t know."

The Grammy-winning singer of "My Heart Will Go On" confirmed suffering from stiff-person syndrome in December 2022, after dropping her European tour plans for February 2023. Her 2023-2024 tour was called off in May of this year. Since then, the Las Vegas-based musician has mostly avoided the limelight.