Symptoms are indicators that tell us that something is going wrong, and the intensity of its manifestation depends upon the present phase of the disorder.

Embouchure dystonia does not appear overnight, in fact we come across a phenomenon similar to the iceberg, the peak of the problem has surged to the surface with strength after an unconscious period of gestation. Normally, those who come to me looking for help are mistaken when saying to me that almost all of a sudden they started to feel something that prevented them from playing the instrument as usual, and it stands to reason given their confusion. In fact all mental response is the product of the daily assessments we make referring to the end result of our practice with the instrument. That conclusion or judgement that we have acquired based on repetitions becomes a subconscious automatism that will be activated without our permission. Once the reaction starts we can do nothing, our will power will not help us to stop it. The only thing we can do is to modify the information of the automatism.

So, our emotional assessment on our work definitely conditions our progress, and in the same way that an emotion can make us go red or grow pale out of shame an even activate a heart attack, also other type of emotions correctly associated to our work can create wonders or ruin that somatize in our embouchure or respiratory system.

The symptoms experienced by the musician in the acute phase are as follows:

Incapacity to control the tongue to produce the sound:
· The tongue gets stuck to the palate
· Tonguing becomes dull
· The tongue muscle suffers a lot and exhaust due to over effort affecting the neck muscles and jaws.
· The tongue seems enormous and heavy

Incapacity to shape the embouchure:
· Lips don´t find their position on the mouthpiece
· The lips hit the mouthpiece involuntarily causing pain
· The muscles of the embouchure seem to function independently and chaotically creating wry faces
· When trying to produce the sound the embouchure muscles contract impeding the correct position
· Tension in the face is evident
· Tension inside the mouth can even hurt teeth structure
· Apparent loss of sensitivity in the lips and embouchure muscles

Respiratory system:
· Difficulty in breathing air in and out
· Atypical tension in abdominal muscles and diaphragm
· Glottis impedes the air flow
· Sensation of respiratory anguish and chest tightness

General:
· Physical and mental exhaustion shortly after starting the practice
· Deformation of embouchure muscular perception
· Loss or deterioration of the capacity to thing in musical terms when practicing

Emotional:
· Impotence
· Anguish
· Obsession
· Confusion
· Sleep disorders, etc.

Evidently, each human being is a different world, and though the symptomatic frame of embouchure dystonia is unequivocal, the intensity of their somatization in each phase is the direct consequence of the substantial difference of both psychological and physical factors that form it.