Céline Dion admits what it’s like to sing with stiff person syndrome
Céline Dion has been sharing an insight into what it’s like to live with stiff person syndrome.
The My Heart Will Go On singer revealed she was diagnosed with the rare neurological disease in December 2022.
While sharing a new update on her health now, Céline has admitted how the condition has affected her ability to sing.
During an interview with TODAY, Dion explained that when she tries to sing, “It’s like somebody is strangling you”.
While demonstrating how her voice sounds when she raises it or lowers it, Céline stated, “It’s like somebody is pushing your larynx/pharynx this way”.
“It was like talking like that, and you cannot go high or lower”, she continued before adding, “It gets into a spasm”.
Céline revealed the muscle spasms and stiffness in her limbs became more serious shortly after she first started noticing symptoms.
“It can also be in the abdominal, can be in the spine, can be in the ribs. But it feels like if I point my feet, they will stay in a [stuck position], or if I cook – because I love to cook – my fingers, my hands, will get in a position”.
“My feet – it's cramping, but it’s like in a position of you cannot unlock them”.
The 56-year-old went on to confess, “I have broken ribs at one point because sometimes, when it’s very severe, it can break some ribs as well”.
When previously speaking about the syndrome to Vogue France, Céline revealed, “I haven’t beat the disease, as it's still within me and always will be. I hope that we'll find a miracle, a way to cure it with scientific research, but for now I have to learn to live with it. So that's me, now with Stiff Person Syndrome”.
The It’s All Coming Back to Me Now singer then shared, “Five days a week I undergo athletic, physical and vocal therapy. I work on my toes, my knees, my calves, my fingers, my singing, my voice…”.
“I have to learn to live with it now and stop questioning myself. At the beginning I would ask myself: why me? How did this happen? What have I done? Is this my fault?”.
