Celine Dion announced on Thursday that she's canceling and postponing tour dates because she's been diagnosed with "stiff person syndrome."

Dr. Jin Li, section chief of neuromuscular disorder at Westchester Medical Center, says stiff person syndrome is a rare, incurable illness that manifests differently in each patient.

MORE: Celine Dion reveals rare neurological disorder diagnosis

"It really can be a certain part of the body or multiple muscle groups. We're talking in the trunks, in the legs. Those are the common places people have these intermittent muscle spasms, muscle pain," says Dr. Li.

Dr. Li recommends that anyone who is concerned they may have the disorder talk to their primary care doctor who may refer them to a neurologist.

Dr. Li says it's sad to hear about Celine Dion's diagnosis, but says hopefully increased awareness of the syndrome will result in more research for treatments.