Hi and welcome to the Dystonia Support Group Of San Diego County's Web Page!  My name is Martha Murphy and I am the group leader for San Diego County, as well as a Regional Coordinator for the Pacific and Northwest Regions. I also serve as part-time staff for the Dystonia Medical Research Foundation (DMRF) in the role of Brain Bank Liaison.  I have had Cervical Dystonia since 1975 and our group was formed in 1987, the year I was finally correctly diagnosed after almost 12 years since the onset of my symptoms.

Dystonia is a neurological movement disorder that causes muscles in the body to contract or spasm involuntarily. These muscle contractions can cause twisting, repetitive & patterned movements as well as abnormal postures. Dystonia is the 3rd most common movement disorder following Parkinson's Disease and Essential Tremor and is thought to affect an estimated 300,000 persons in North America alone including men, women and children of all ages and backgrounds. Dystonia can be genetic or caused by factors such as physical trauma, exposure to certain medications, or other neurological conditions. There is currently no cure for Dystonia, but a variety of treatments are available. Research is critical to learn the various causes of Dystonia, identify additional treatment options and, ultimately, to discover a cure. Our group is affiliated with both the Dystonia Medical Research Foundation (DMRF) and the National Spasmodic Dysphonia Association (NSDA). You can reach DMRF at 1-800-377-DYST (1-800-377-3978) or e-mail dystonia@dystonia-foundation.org or log onto their website by clicking here. To contact NSDA, phone 1-800-795-6732; e-mail: NSDA@dysphonia.org or log onto their website www.dysphonia.org Please consider making a charitable donation to support important Dystonia Foundation research advances by clicking here To support NSDA research, please click here

We welcome persons with ALL forms of Dystonia, as well as their family members & friends to be part of our support group and to attend our meetings. Our group meets every other month (Jan. March, May, July, Sept., Nov.) the *3rd Sat. of the month from 1-3:00 p.m. at Alvarado Hospital, 6655 Alvarado Rd., San Diego, CA 92120 (*meeting schedule is subject to change). This web site will list the dates of upcoming meetings. Also, if you want to e-mail Martha, please click here. I hope you enjoy our site (it was designed by my son, Ryan; click here to e-mail him).