Hand dystonia is a focal dystonia characterized by excessive, involuntary muscle contractions in the fingers, hand, forearm, and sometimes shoulder. Symptoms usually appear when a person is doing a task that requires fine motor coordination of hand and arm muscles. There is no current cure for focal dystonias, either through medical or at-home treatments. However, there are some treatment approaches that have been met with success. These include taking medications known as anticholinergics. Doctors may prescribe a medication called artane (trihexyphenidyl), an anticholinergic.
Focal dystonia usually progresses gradually over a period of about five years and then doesn't get any worse. Sometimes, a person's symptoms improve or disappear completely. This is known as total remission and it's thought to occur in around 5-10% of people. The disorder is usually not associated with pain, but it certainly may lead to pain in affected areas. Cervical dystonia can be particularly painful due to degeneration of the spine, irritation of nerve roots or frequent headaches. Limb dystonia may not cause pain initially but may become painful over time.