A woman who felt unable to venture out of her home for five years because of a deforming condition fears she may face further isolation unless more funds are raised to find a cure.

Margaret Burke, 51, has an uncontrollable muscle-spasm condition called dystonia which causes her neck muscles to jerk her head back.

The symptoms began 12 years ago after she suffered whiplash in a car accident. Within months the mum-of-two's life was shattered.

Her GP said the spasms were all in her mind. Another doctor sent her to see a neurologist, who diagnosed the condition - two and a half years after it had begun.

Botox injections failed to dull nerves in the affected muscles and in 1997 surgery was said to be the last option, even though it would only work for a limited time until the nerves grow back again.

Mrs Burke, of Bradford Road, Cleckheaton, said: "I'd got so bad that I had to give up work and stayed in the house for five years. I couldn't face going out. I felt deformed.

"People are quick to judge when they see something like that. They'd think 'look at that drunk woman'. I couldn't bear that."

Between 1997 and 2001 she had six operations to cut away the affected nerves, leaving her with more than 600 stitches in her neck. Although painful, that gave her a better quality of life, but now she says the painful muscle spasms are increasing again.

Mrs Burke, who set up a West Yorkshire group of the Dystonia Society to raise awareness about the condition, said doctors now tell her she cannot have more surgery and there is nothing else they can do for her.

"I feel as though my head is hanging on to my shoulders, my neck couldn't take anymore stitches. All they can do now is send me to a pain-management clinic," she said.

"I don't want to go back to having to close myself off because of the way I look.

"That's why I'm asking people to help raise more funds for research to find a cure or at least a next stage of treatment for people like me."

Telegraph & Argus health columnist Dr Tom Smith said: "It's damage to the brain that causes the problems, not the nerves and muscles as most people think.

"Deep in the brain there has been some kind of injury. It could have been a minor clot brought about after a long journey - not necessarily an accident - which makes the brain send out the wrong signals to nerves in the muscles, making them contract.

"Botox is a treatment and surgery is an option but the problem is that even if nerves are cut they do grow back.

"Sometimes anti-epilepsy drugs can work and so can anti-depressants for some people because they dull the messages coming from the brain.

"Dystonia might not be a forgotten condition but it's a difficult one."

Terry Coates at Spenbor-ough United Ex-serviceman's Club is already doing his bit to help Mrs Burke and her fellow sufferers.

He will be at the Odeon complex in Thornbury, Bradford, on Friday, April 25, at 11am doing a sponsored swim in aid of dystonia.

Anyone who wants to help raise funds, to support the sponsored swim or get more information about dystonia can telephone Margaret on (01274) 874020.