Where we are with Dystonia Research with Neurologist Erik van Wensen Artwork

Unstoppable Strides: Navigating Runner's Dystonia

Join Julie and JoJo for information, exploration, stories of hope and real talk related to running with dystonia.

Runner’s dystonia is a type of repetitive exercise dystonia that is brought on by running. Some are affected by walking and cycling as well.

Dystonias are a class of movement disorders marked by involuntary muscle contractions in one or more parts of the body, depending on the type of dystonia.

Runner’s dystonia is considered task-specific, which means that it only occurs when doing a repetitive motion—in this case, the repetitive nature of the running gait cycle.

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All Episodes

Unstoppable Strides: Navigating Runner's Dystonia

Where we are with Dystonia Research with Neurologist Erik van Wensen

May 13, 2026 • Julie Bergfeld • Season 3 • Episode 3

0:00 | 35:24

Neurologist Erik van Wensen shares his personal story and where we are with current understanding and research in the area of dystonia and specifically task-specific sports dystonia.

Mentioned in the recording:

EMDR - Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing

CBT - Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Botox - Botulinum Toxin

David Marsden

Dystonia Medical Research

Dart-Player Jules van Dongen Pedals and Points fundraiser for Dystonia

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The information shared in this podcast is not intended to diagnose. recommend nor treat medical conditions. We are not licensed medical professionals and do not take the place of your team of medical professionals.

You can find us here: Julie Bergfeld - julie@juliebergfeld.com and juliebergfeld.com (@juliebergfeldcoaching) and JoJo Fraser - joellef510@gmail.com