After cancelling tour dates earlier this year and in 2021 due to "severe and persistent muscle spasms," Céline Dion has shared that she's been diagnosed with stiff-person syndrome (SPS) — a neurological disorder characterized by fluctuating muscle rigidity and heightened sensitivity to stimuli like noise, touch and light, which can trigger painful muscle spasms.
The Charlemagne, QC-hailing superstar took to Instagram to share the news with an emotional video addressing her fans and explaining that she won't be picking up her tour in Europe in February as planned. As per her website, eight summer 2023 shows on the Courage Tour have been cancelled outright. Others have been rescheduled for 2024.
"I've been dealing with problems with my health for a long time, and it's been really difficult for me to face these challenges and to talk about everything that I've been going through," Dion explained. "Recently, I've been diagnosed with a very rare neurological disorder called stiff-person syndrome, which affects something like one in a million people. While we're still learning about this rare condition, we now know this is what has been causing all of the spasms I've been having."
She continued, "Unfortunately, these spasms affect every aspect of my daily life, sometimes causing difficulties with how I walk and not allowing me to use my vocal cords to sing the way I'm used to."
The singer admitted, "It's been a struggle," though she assured fans she was working tirelessly with a great team of doctors and doing daily rehabilitation with a sports medicine specialist. "All I know is singing. It's what I've done all my life and it's what I love to do the most."
She added, "I have no choice but to concentrate on my health at this moment, and I have hope that I'm on the road to recovery."
See the announcement from Dion below.
The Charlemagne, QC-hailing superstar took to Instagram to share the news with an emotional video addressing her fans and explaining that she won't be picking up her tour in Europe in February as planned. As per her website, eight summer 2023 shows on the Courage Tour have been cancelled outright. Others have been rescheduled for 2024.
"I've been dealing with problems with my health for a long time, and it's been really difficult for me to face these challenges and to talk about everything that I've been going through," Dion explained. "Recently, I've been diagnosed with a very rare neurological disorder called stiff-person syndrome, which affects something like one in a million people. While we're still learning about this rare condition, we now know this is what has been causing all of the spasms I've been having."
She continued, "Unfortunately, these spasms affect every aspect of my daily life, sometimes causing difficulties with how I walk and not allowing me to use my vocal cords to sing the way I'm used to."
The singer admitted, "It's been a struggle," though she assured fans she was working tirelessly with a great team of doctors and doing daily rehabilitation with a sports medicine specialist. "All I know is singing. It's what I've done all my life and it's what I love to do the most."
She added, "I have no choice but to concentrate on my health at this moment, and I have hope that I'm on the road to recovery."
See the announcement from Dion below.