Dystonia is a range of movement disorders which cause involuntary muscle spasms and contractions. The spasms and contractions that are associated with dystonia can cause the affected body parts to make repetitive movements and take on unusual and awkward postures.
Dystonia is thought to be a neurological condition, that is, a condition that is caused by underlying problems with the nervous system and brain. However, in most cases, other functions of the brain, such as intelligence, memory and language are unaffected.