To get tested for MS, start by seeing your GP or family doctor, detailing your specific neurological symptoms like vision changes, numbness, or balance issues, as they can rule out other causes and refer you to a neurologist (a nerve specialist) who can order definitive tests like MRI, blood work, and possibly a spinal tap (lumbar puncture) for diagnosis.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
MRI scans confirm a diagnosis in over 90 per cent of people with MS. To get the image of your brain and spinal cord you'll be asked to lie down and enter a small tunnel in the centre of the MRI scanner. The process can take between 10 and 60 minutes and is painless.
If your GP thinks you could have multiple sclerosis (MS) they'll refer you to a brain and nerve specialist (neurologist). At your appointment the neurologist will ask about your symptoms. There is no single test to diagnose MS.
There are lots of symptoms that MS can cause, but not everyone will experience all of them.
Other common symptoms associated with MS include spasms, fatigue, depression, incontinence issues, sexual dysfunction, and walking difficulties. There's currently no single test to make a diagnosis of MS. However, there are four key features which help to secure the diagnosis.
What are the early symptoms of multiple sclerosis?
MS can damage the nerves in your spinal cord or brain that control your muscles. That can cause painful muscle spasms. Nerve pain can also cause painful or unusual sensations on the skin. These types of pain can happen anywhere but are usually in the face, arms and legs.
Researchers analysed blood samples from more than 700 people with relapsing-remitting MS and over 5,000 people without MS. The results showed that 98% of people with MS had detectable EBNA-1 antibodies compared with 78% of those without MS.
These include fibromyalgia and vitamin B12 deficiency, muscular dystrophy (MD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease), migraine, hypo-thyroidism, hypertension, Beçhets, Arnold-Chiari deformity, and mitochondrial disorders, although your neurologist can usually rule them out quite easily.
The exact trigger for Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is unknown, but it's believed to be a combination of genetic predisposition and environmental factors, including certain infections (like Epstein-Barr Virus), low Vitamin D levels (linked to less sunlight), smoking, obesity, stress, and potentially genetic susceptibility. These factors can trigger an autoimmune attack where the immune system mistakenly damages myelin in the central nervous system.
Tests used to diagnose MS may include: MRI, which can reveal areas of MS on the brain and spinal cord. These areas are called lesions. A contrast dye may be given through an IV to highlight lesions that show the disease is in an active phase.
Suspected cases of MS should be seen by a specialist as soon as possible. But there's a shortage of neurologists in the UK and not all hospitals have neurology departments. So it can sometimes take many weeks to get an appointment. You might be referred more urgently if your symptoms are very disabling.
MS is not an easy diagnosis to make. In some ways, multiple sclerosis is a “leftover” condition. The primary way medical professionals diagnose someone is by ruling out many other issues, a process known as differential diagnosis.
The 'MS hug' is symptom of MS that feels like an uncomfortable, sometimes painful feeling of tightness or pressure, usually around your stomach or chest. The pain or tightness can feel like a tight band stretching under your breasts, around the ribs and back or stomach, or it can be just on one side.
However, triggers that may provoke or worsen a multiple sclerosis attack include:
Fatigue in MS is not just an ordinary tiredness, like you might get at the end of a hard day's work. People describe it as an overwhelming sense of tiredness with no obvious cause.
Three key warning signs of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) often involve vision problems (like blurred vision or pain with eye movement), numbness or tingling sensations, and fatigue, along with balance issues, weakness, and coordination difficulties, though symptoms vary widely and can include cognitive or bladder problems too.
Neuromyelitis optica is often misdiagnosed as multiple sclerosis, also known as MS, or is seen as a type of MS . But NMO is a different condition. Neuromyelitis optica can cause blindness, weakness in the legs or arms, and painful spasms.
Both vitamin B12 (also known as cobalamin) deficiency and MS produce similar neurological symptoms, including numbness or tingling in hands and feet, vision loss, difficulty walking or speaking normally and cognitive dysfunction, such as problems with memory.
The hot bath test reflects the effect of heat that many people with MS notice. Hot weather, hot baths or showers, exercising or an infection can all raise your internal body temperature. The raised temperature can cause your MS symptoms to appear or worsen. This is known as Uhthoff's phenomenon.
Research suggests that stress can worsen MS symptoms, triggering flare-ups and increasing fatigue (National Multiple Sclerosis Society). Managing mental health proactively can help stabilize symptoms, improve well-being, and enhance overall quality of life.
Increased weakness or stiffness. Vision changes. More intense pain or discomfort. Numbness or tingling in areas of your body that had previously been unaffected.
MS-related itching can happen anywhere on the body and can affect one or both sides. It most commonly affects the face, torso, arms, and legs.
MS Symptoms in Legs
The top symptoms in the legs include: Weakness: Legs may feel heavy, fatigued, or harder to move, especially after walking or standing for long periods. Numbness or Tingling: A “pins and needles” sensation, or complete numbness, often starting in the feet and moving upward.
Spasms can affect any muscle, but they are most common in your legs, arms and back. They can feel uncomfortable, sometimes painful like a longer episode of cramp. They can also be embarrassing, annoying and tiring.