MS pain is highly varied, often described as neuropathic (nerve-related) pain with sensations like burning, tingling, electric shocks, or tightness (the "MS hug"), but also includes musculoskeletal pain from spasms, aches, and altered walking, manifesting as burning, stabbing, aching, or shooting sensations, often triggered by fatigue, stress, temperature changes, or touch, and can be unpredictable, from short bursts to chronic discomfort.
The most common pains in people with MS are burning pain in the legs or arms, back pain, painful spasms, trigeminal neuralgia (stabbing, intermittent facial pain), and Lhermitte's sign (shock-like sensation down the back and into the arms when dipping your chin to your chest).
In MS patients commonly have neuropathic pain. It often affects a limb or limbs, and sometimes involved the trunk. It is described in a various ways but often the following descriptions are used: “burning, tingling, jabbing, electrical, itching”.
Erythromelalgia is a rare and painful multiple sclerosis (MS) symptom that I (and others with MS) experience. Almost every night my feet have a tight, swollen feeling accompanied by a terribly hot, burning sensation.
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.
Some of the most common symptoms include:
The T25-FW is a quantitative mobility and leg function performance test based on a timed 25-foot walk. It is the first component of the Multiple Sclerosis Functional Composite (MSFC) to be administered at each visit.
Some people with MS lose sensation in their tongue. Some health care providers refer to MS-related tongue issues as “MS tongue.” Loss of sensation or numbness can make it difficult to move your tongue when you speak, chew, or swallow. Tongue numbness may also diminish sense of taste.
Babinski Reflex. The Babinski Reflex is often used to test MS. Normally when stimulated with a blunt instrument, the toes naturally respond by pointing downwards. In newborns and some people with nerve damage, the big toe points up and the toes splay outwards.
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.
Multiple sclerosis can cause numbness, weakness, trouble walking, vision changes and other symptoms. It's also known as MS. In MS, the immune system attacks the protective sheath that covers nerve fibers, known as myelin. This interrupts communication between the brain and the rest of the body.
Corticosteroids. These medicines reduce nerve inflammation. For MS, the corticosteroids used are oral prednisone and intravenous methylprednisolone.
Neck stiffness and pain are common symptoms experienced by people living with multiple sclerosis (MS), affecting up to 16 percent of those with the condition.
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.
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.
Tightness or stiffness of the muscles, called spasticity, is caused directly by MS. Spasticity will alter walking and cause pulling on the joints. This can result in pain typically in the ankles, knees, hips and back.
What are the early symptoms of multiple sclerosis?
By affecting the autonomic nervous system, which helps regulate blood vessels, MS can lead to circulation problems such as cyanosis. Some people notice their toes or fingers take on a bluish tint, especially after being in the cold. This color change often comes with a cold, painful sensation.
Heightened risk of tooth decay (dental caries) and gum disease (gingivitis and periodontitis) are among the chief multiple sclerosis dental considerations.
As well as disability benefits, there's other financial help out there that might make living with MS easier. Find out more about free public transport, disabled facilities grants, help with keeping warm in winter, prescription charges and dealing with debt.
Numbness and tingling can occur in your feet, legs, hands, arms or face. In my example, it started in my feet and then spread to my legs.
The 6 Minute Walk Test is a sub-maximal exercise test used to assess aerobic capacity and endurance. The distance covered over a time of 6 minutes is used as the outcome by which to compare changes in performance capacity.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and MS
Magnetic resonance imaging scans (MRI) are vital in diagnosing MS and in monitoring and predicting how someone's MS is changing.
One early sign of MS is MS numbness in feet. It feels like the feet have no feeling or like wearing thick gloves. This can make it hard to balance and walk safely, raising the chance of falling.