Celine Dion reveals she’s been diagnosed with rare disorder, reschedules tour

(Gray News) - In an emotional video posted on her official Instagram page, singer Celine Dion revealed Thursday morning that she’s facing a “very rare neurological disorder called stiff-person syndrome.”

Dion said she is postponing the start of her tour to focus on her health.

She said the spasms she has been experiencing, which are apparently a part of the syndrome, affect every aspect of her daily life, including singing and walking.

“I’ve been dealing with problems with my health for a long time, and it’s been really difficult for me to face these challenges and to talk about everything that I’ve been going through. … It hurts me to tell you that I won’t be ready to restart my tour in Europe in February,” she said in the post.

Stiff-person syndrome is “a rare autoimmune movement disorder that affects the central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord). People with this condition first experience a stiffening of the muscles of their trunk followed, over time, by the development of stiffness and rigidity in the legs and other muscles in the body,” the Cleveland Clinic said.

Only about one of every 1 million people get this condition, the Cleveland Clinic said. It’s not known what causes it, and there’s no known cure.

Dion said her medical team will help her deal with the symptoms so she will be able to resume performing.