Sometimes referred to as Moersch-Woltman syndrome, it is a rare neurological disorder causing progressive muscle stiffness and repeated episodes of painful spasms.
The National Centre for Advancing Translational Sciences in the US say scientists don’t yet fully understand what causes it.
But research indicates that it is the result of an “abnormal autoimmune response in the brain and spinal cord”, which causes the immune system to mistakenly attack the body. Spasms can occur randomly.
The severity and progression of SPS varies from one person to another. If left untreated, it can progress to cause difficulty walking and significantly impact a person’s ability to perform routine, daily tasks.
SPS was first described in the medical literature by doctors Moersch and Woltman in 1956 as “stiff-man syndrome” but is now thought to predominantly affect women and, in rare cases, kids.
