1 Cervical dystonia, or torticollis, is the most common type. 2  Cervical dystonia typically occurs in middle-aged individuals. 3  It has, though, been reported in people of all ages. 4  Cervical dystonia affects the neck muscles, causing the head to twist and turn or be pulled backward or forward. Cervical dystonia affects the neck muscles, causing the head to twist and turn or be pulled backward or forward. 2  Cranial dystonia affects the head, face, and neck muscles. 3  Oromandibular dystonia causes spasms of the jaw, lips, and tongue muscles. 4  This dystonia can cause problems with speech and swallowing.
Autoimmune diseases occur when the immune system attacks healthy cells in the body. It seems counter-productive for our immune system to attack our own bodies, but scientists think that there is a naturally occurring level of autoimmunity that is going on all the time in humans and other higher animals.
Autoimmune diseases arise when the immune system attacks one or more of the body's normal constituents as if they were invaders. When the immune system fails to recognize self it may produce immune cells or antibodies (called autoantibodies) that target its own cells, tissues, and/or organs. Those attacks cause inflammation and tissue damage that lead to autoimmune disorders. There are 80-100 diseases that occur as a result of autoimmune responses and researchers suspect at least 40 additional diseases have an autoimmune basis. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) estimates that 23.5 million Americans are affected. Most autoimmune disorders are rare.