Veteran Canadian singer Celine Dion has revealed the challenges she faces due to Stiff Person Syndrome, a rare neurological disorder that has affected her health.
In an interview with NBC News, the 56-year-old described her experience with the debilitating condition.
Dion explained that the syndrome causes her to feel as though she is being “strangled,” with severe cramps and muscle rigidity often leaving her in excruciating pain.
“It’s like somebody is strangling you. It’s like somebody is pushing your larynx/pharynx. It was like talking like that, and you cannot go high or lower,” she described.
She also mentioned that pointing her feet or using her hands while cooking can cause them to lock into painful positions.
“It’s cramping but it’s like in a position where you cannot unlock them,” she said.
The singer recounted a particularly severe episode that resulted in broken ribs due to the intensity of the muscle spasms.
“I have broken ribs at one point because sometimes when it’s very severe, it can break,” she shared.
Celine Dion was diagnosed with Stiff Person Syndrome in 2022.
She had initially attempted to cope with the symptoms on her own but eventually came to terms with the fact that her life would have to adapt to the condition.