The film, released Tuesday on Prime Video, shows the 56-year-old suffering a severe spasm during a physical therapy session.
World-renowned singer Celine Dion shared a vulnerable moment of her experience living with stiff-person syndrome in a raw scene from the new documentary, “I Am: Celine Dion.”
The film, released Tuesday on Prime Video, shows the 56-year-old suffering a severe spasm during a physical therapy session.
Lying on a table on her side, Dion is seen frozen and beginning to cry as she trembles slightly and moans in pain.
Dion revealed in December 2022 that she had been diagnosed with a rare neurological condition that can cause painful spasms and difficulty walking.
In the documentary, viewers watch the star go through one of those tough moments.
The footage shows a physical therapist talking to Dion during the spasm and asking her to squeeze his hand if she feels pain.
He applies a nasal spray after noticing she was breathing abnormally. He and others in the room discuss whether to call 911 if another spasm began, but Dion weakly reassures them and says, “I’m fine.”
It was a heartfelt moment for the Canadian singer, one she insisted on keeping in the film.
When Dion was shown a rough cut six months after that spasm, she told director Irene Taylor, “Don’t cut that scene,” Taylor told the Los Angeles Times.
In the documentary, Dion revealed that she has been living with symptoms of the condition for 17 years.
WHAT IS STIFF-PERSON SYNDROME?
Stiff-person syndrome is an autoimmune and neurological condition that affects approximately one or two out of every million people.
Symptoms include stiffness in the torso and limbs, along with severe episodes of muscle spasms, according to Yale Medicine.
The spasms can occur randomly or be triggered by certain stimuli, including loud noises, touch or emotional distress.
There is no cure for stiff-person syndrome, but doctors focus on relieving patients’ symptoms using medications such as sedatives, muscle relaxants and steroids.
Immunotherapies, such as an infusion of immunoglobulin, have also been shown to reduce stiffness and people’s sensitivity to noise, touch and stress.
Physical and aquatic therapies can also help patients.
Dion’s physician, Dr. Amanda Piquet, is the director of the autoimmune neurology program at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.
She explained to TODAY.com that the scene in the documentary shows a spasm that started in Dion’s foot and then took over his body.
“That anxiety, that panic, that continuous spasm that wouldn’t let up and then very quickly triggered a full spasm throughout her body,” he explained.
The nasal spray Dion was given was benzodiazepine, a depressant drug that relieves anxiety and reduces muscle spasms.
Piquet clarified that what Dion experienced was not a seizure.
“This is a spasm that is occurring and patients are aware of what is happening. There is a lot of anxiety, a lot of panic, adrenaline is running,” he explained.
In the documentary, Dion says after the spasm, “Every time something like this happens, you feel very embarrassed. So, I don’t know how to express it…it’s like not being in control of yourself.”