Country singer Lisa McHugh shares neurological disorder diagnosis

The singer-songwriter recently learned that she has Functional Neurological Disorder after “an incredibly scary” and “very difficult" few weeks spent in the hospital

Lisa McHugh posted a statement on Instagram, sharing with fans the story of what led to her Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) diagnosis. Picture: Lisa McHugh/Instagram.

Irish country music singer Lisa McHugh has shared that she has been diagnosed with a neurological disorder, which caused her to lose function in her legs.

The singer-songwriter recently learned that she has Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) after “an incredibly scary” and “very difficult" few weeks spent in the hospital.

She posted a statement on Instagram on Tuesday alongside a video depicting how she was unable to lift her legs and shared with fans the story of what led to her diagnosis of the incurable disorder.

The 36-year-old said she was diagnosed after multiple CT scans, MRIs, X-rays, blood tests, lumbar punctures, and “every kind of test you could imagine”.

FND is a condition that affects how the brain and nervous system function, leading to a range of neurological symptoms. These symptoms can include limb weakness, paralysis, seizures, walking difficulties, spasms, and sensory issues. 

Unlike other neurological disorders, FND is not caused by structural damage to the brain but rather by changes in how brain networks work.

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McHugh, who was diagnosed with Trigeminal Neuralgia earlier this year, said in her post that while the specific cause for FND is unknown, some of the main triggers are stress, trauma and anxiety.

“I guess the stress and trauma of this last year and everything we’ve went through has finally caught up with me and my body and it’s now decided to make me physically stop, process and heal from everything properly,” her post read.

McHugh said that while she has “a good bit to go on the healing front”, she is determined to heal.

“Going from walking into hospital with a very bad headache & severe facial pain, to losing function in both legs and then trying to walk again using a Zimmer frame. It’s quite a lot to wrap your head around. So I need to drastically adapt things in my life right now and for the future to reduce the severity of the symptoms in any future flare-ups. But rest assured, I will be cared for like a queen every single day until I fully recover from this episode,” she wrote in her social media post.

She thanked the doctors, specialists, nurses and staff of the South West Acute Hospital for their care and first-class treatment, which she said had been “absolutely amazing” since arriving at the hospital.

“With all of that said, I’m going to sign off and take time out from everything for a while to concentrate on recovering fully. In the meantime, I’d really appreciate all of your prayers and I’ll soak up this time with my beautiful family and be grateful for every day,” she said.