Abstract
Objective. Definitions and descriptions of focal dystonias and conversion symptoms place these disorders on the borderline between psychiatry and neurology. Various possible interpretations and therapeutic suggestions as exemplified by the musicians ' cramp are proposed.
Case. A case of a man aged over 40 is reported - after a number of diagnostic and therapeutic attempts (from surgical interventions to psychotherapy) that have proved unsuccessful.
Commentary. Conversion and muscle dystonias may serve as a good illustration of the dilemmas associated with choosing the paradigm of thinking in psychiatry. The authors are for a multidimensional approach.