Mobility Management

  • Home
  • Topics
    • Automotive Mobility
    • Billing / Reimbursement
    • Government / Legislation
    • Home Accessibility
    • Pediatrics
    • Power Chairs
    • Seating & Positioning
    • Ultralightweights
  • News
  • Featured
  • Podcasts
  • Request Media Kit
  • Webinars
  • Subscribe
  • Digital Edition
  • Awards
  • Advertise

Of Dragons & Dystonia

March 1, 2011 by Laurie Watanabe

Ever since I was a little girl, Sleeping Beauty has been my favorite Disney film. The princess is beautiful, the prince is charming, and in the time it takes them to waltz through a single song, they’ve fallen in “I-would-walk-through-a-wall-ofthorns-for-you!” love.

That’s not my favorite part.

Dragons & DystoniaI love the end of the film, when the prince on his noble steed gallops madly toward the castle, seemingly just moments from kissing his sleeping beauty. In a last-ditch effort to keep the lovebirds apart, the wicked fairy blocks the prince’s path by transforming into an immense black-and-purple dragon that breathes green (!) fire.

The prince charges, falls from his horse, runs forward and with his sword clouts the dragon on the snout. But the monster shakes it off. Our prince might as well have whacked the dragon with a letter opener.

That’s how I felt when working on the cover story for this 2011 Seating & Positioning Handbook. I’d heard the word dystonia in so many other clinical interviews with therapists and rehab technology suppliers that I thought it would be superb for this special section.

I was excited – sort of my waltz-in-the-woods stage – until I started talking to experts on dystonia. This neurologically based, involuntary-movement disorder is a dragon-sized topic that can present in so many different ways and with seemingly endless variations. And here I am, attacking it with a laptop.

This story cannot be the final word on dystonia. But I hope it serves as a good foundation for seating & mobility specialists. My humble thanks to the experts who fueled this month’s discussion by generously sharing their experiences and research.

In Sleeping Beauty, the prince defeats the dragon, of course, thanks to very timely magical intervention. Seating & mobility assessments aren’t fairy tales, but here’s hoping that understanding more about dystonia will lead to happier endings for clients and their families.

Related Articles Read More >

Jenx Begins Consultation Process to Cease Manufacturing Operations
The U.K.-based company has for decades specialized in pediatric positioning systems.
Briefly: munevo, Permobil Sign European Partnership; Neuralink Announces New Investor
Featuring munevo, Permobil, Neuralink, and CoreNest Capital.
Mobility Management Webinar: Clinicians to Discuss Pediatric Positioning Beyond the Wheelchair
The Aug. 12 webinar will cover lying posture care management, standing, gait training, and sitting outside of the wheelchair.
Numotion to Acquire Motion, Canadian Provider of CRT, Accessibility Solutions
Motion will continue to operate as a Canadian-based entity after the transaction is complete.

GET THE FREE NEWSLETTER

Mobility Management Newsletter

Subscribe to Mobility Management's newsletter for industry & product news, trends and resources. Click here.
podcasts
Mobility Management
  • HME Business
  • Senior Housing News
  • Home Health Care News
  • Skilled Nursing News
  • Hospice News
  • Behavioral Health Business
  • Contact Us
  • About Us

Copyright © 2025 WTWH Media LLC. All Rights Reserved. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of WTWH Media
Privacy Policy | Advertising | About Us

Search Mobility Management

  • Home
  • Topics
    • Automotive Mobility
    • Billing / Reimbursement
    • Government / Legislation
    • Home Accessibility
    • Pediatrics
    • Power Chairs
    • Seating & Positioning
    • Ultralightweights
  • News
  • Featured
  • Podcasts
  • Request Media Kit
  • Webinars
  • Subscribe
  • Digital Edition
  • Awards
  • Advertise