Make My Symptoms Go Away
A doctor will recommend you see a physical therapist and an occupational therapist. A physical therapist will show you different exercises that will help you stretch your muscles.
This will help reduce the spasms. Where an occupational therapist will help you choose a medical device, this will assist you with mobility and with your other daily living activities.
You Have Other Common Coronavirus Symptoms
Back pain can be a muscle ache symptom of the coronavirus, says Leann Poston, MD, a licensed physician and health advisor for Invigor Medical. However, it’s highly unlikely for this symptom on its own to be a sign that you have COVID. Instead, Poston says those infected should also expect to experience losing their sense of taste and smell, shortness of breath, headache, fever, and/or a dry cough. And for more on coronavirus complications, If Your Symptoms Appear in This Order, You May Have Severe COVID.
It Was A Really Rough At First Both Emotionally And Physically But Therapy Helped
I was able to find a neurologist who gave me corticosteroid treatments, which helped. But in addition to my original symptoms, I developed a bad case of optic neuritis, which causes vision problems. I couldnt really see anything, even with my glasses, so I thought I was going blind as well. But I got better after the steroid.
But when you take a steroid, you dont feel great I couldnt sleep, I had heart palpitations, and my face and chest broke out with the worst acne you have ever seen.
I was so anxious about my future. I thought, Who is going to marry me if I have this disease? Am I going to be unlovable? My husband and I were dating when I was first diagnosed and I was so scared he would not want to be with me anymore. That wasnt true he has always been there for me. But it was so, so stressful at the time.
I was seeing a therapist and she really helped. I know it sounds cliché, but having a positive mindset is so important. And its not like you can just say, Im going to be a positive person today.” You really have to work at it. But I do think that you can change your thought patterns, sort of like retraining your brain.
Marni is the founder of MSquared: Music Against MS, which raises funds for MS research, and we work on charity events together. We have an event on May 16 in New York, which will be hosted by HQs Scott Rogowsky.
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Ms Pain: Causes And How To Handle It
Life is a beautiful thing. Pain is not so awesome, one MyMSTeam member said. Another wrote, Pain changes your life … and its all invisible. Its really hard a lot of times.
Pain is a common symptom of multiple sclerosis . Some research has suggested that up to 80 percent of people with MS experience pain at some point during the course of their disease. Pain may not come on until later in the diseases progression as another member shared, I didnt start having pain until five years after my medical diagnosis.
MyMSTeam recently spoke with Dr. Barry Singer, director of the MS Center for Innovations in Care at the Missouri Baptist Medical Center, to help shed light on the many aspects of living with multiple sclerosis. He is the host of the MS Living Well Podcast and recently conducted a podcast episode on Pain and MS. Dr. Singer spoke about pain in MS, including what it feels like, why it happens, and how it is managed.
Note that it is also possible to experience non-MS-related pain, such as headaches and back pain, on top of your MS symptoms. It is important that you talk to a doctor if you have new or worsening pain. They will be able to determine the cause, and can work with you to find the best way of managing your pain.
What Does Ms Pain Feel Like
While terms such as nerve pain and nociceptive pain describe why pain is occurring, pain in MS may also be described according to what it feels like. Spasmodic pain, which is commonly a result of spasticity and muscle spasms, may be brief, cramping, and intense. Paroxysmal pain occurs in short, unpredictable bursts of severe, shooting pain.
More generally, neuropathic pain can cause many different sensations. As Dr. Singer describes, nerve pain typically feels like burning pins and needles and tingling, stabbing, electrical pain. This can be in any part of your body. It could be random jolts of pain, or it could be more constant, burning pain and pins and needles. Neuropathic pain may also cause feelings of numbness, burning, or crawling on the skin.
MyMSTeam members have described the many ways that neuropathic pain affects them. Some describe the pain as excruciating and say that it radiates down the side of the body. As one shared, I have excruciating neuropathic pain in my right hip that radiates down my leg, causing terrible pain in my calf and foot. My lower back is always in pain.
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Pain In Multiple Sclerosis: Insufficiency Of Pharmacological Trials
A search of the electronic literature from date of inception to April 2012 showed that only 12 randomized placebo-controlled trials have assessed pharmacologicalnon disease-modifyingtreatment of pain in MS . For comparison with MS, we chose diabetic painful neuropathy, because the prevalence of pain in diabetes has been reliably assessed and is far lower than the estimated prevalence of pain in MS . Nevertheless, when we surveyed the literature, we found 188 RCTs assessing pain in diabetic neuropathy but only 12 assessing pain in MS. Articles on diabetes are arguably far more numerous than those on MS and drug companies tend to prefer a huge market such as that provided by diabetes. Another reason, however, for the dearth of drug trials is that until a few years ago, most physicians tended to underestimate the importance of pain in MS . Indeed, when we compared RCTs investigating spasticity and pain in MS, we found that a considerably larger number assessed spasticity than pain and several of the latter were RCTs targeting spasticity that also included pain relief as one of the outcome variables .
Treating And Managing Ms Pain
There are many ways of treating and managing MS-related pain. Although medications are often used to manage pain, there are several other ways you can help alleviate pain without drug treatment.
Much of managing pain depends on working with your health care team to find the right solution. As one MyMSTeam member shared, My doctors are very understanding … They are good about sending me to physical therapy or prescribing medication if I need it for pain.
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Can Lower Back Pain Be Related To Weather
If you feel like your lower back pain worsens on days when its cold or the weather is changing, you are not imagining things. Back pain can indeed be related to barometric pressure and outdoor temperature. Changes in pressure can sometimes cause pain in arthritic joints, including the spine. Muscles and joints in general react to the environment, which can make them stiffer and more likely to suffer an injury.
Eating To Reduce Symptoms
Your daily diet should include 3 cups of colorful fruits and vegetables a day. These foods are loaded with antioxidants which help boost your immune system.
Some examples include peaches, sweet potatoes, cranberries, oranges, carrots, beets, all the berries, and peppers,
A Paleo diet also includes three cups of green leafy vegetables a day. They have a large amount of vitamin ACK and B vitamin.
Include three cups of sulfur-rich vegetables. Sulfur helps reduce harmful toxins and it helps with neurotransmitters producing.
Some of them include onion, cabbage, cauliflower, mushrooms, broccoli, asparagus, and turnips.
At each meal, you should include fish like salmon or herring, for the omega 3. You should also meat from a grass-fed animal. These animals arent full of toxins.
When you cook your food be sure to use an oil that isnt full of trans and saturated fats. Some of them might include flax, coconut, hemp, or olive oil.
Its also suggested to eat seaweed and organ meat once a week.
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Sensory Impairment Numbness / Tingling
Numbness is the most common sensory symptom, and usually occurs with an onset in one or more limbs. Commonly people awake with abnormal sensation in a portion of a limb, which gradually spreads inward toward the trunk, increasing in extent and intensity. It may extend to include the body trunk.
Sometimes the sensory disturbance can be painful. Achy, burning sensations, a feeling of tightness or banding these are known as dysesthesias.
ManagementDysesthesias usually respond to anti-seizure medication such as carbamazepine. Amitriptyline can be useful as can be gabapentin and some of the newer pregabalin medications.
Key Healthcare Professionals: Neurologist, MS nurse, occupational therapy
Arthritis Of The Spine
Arthritis of the spine the slow degeneration of the spinal joints is the most frequent cause of lower back pain. All of us experience wear and tear as we age, and it is normal for your lower back to start acting up as you get older. As the cartilage breaks down between the spinal joints, surrounding tissues may become inflamed. The inflammation and the thinning of cartilage increase friction in the joints, which may cause pain in the lower back.
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Describing The Ms Hug To Your Doctor
Theres not just one medical name that describes everyones MS hug because MS can cause those kinds of feelings in different ways.
So a doctor or nurse will want to know more about your experience of it.
This will help them rule out causes that are not MS, and suggest the best ways to manage it whatever the cause.
If it is an MS symptom, they might describe it as dysaesthesia or muscle spasms two different ways MS could create a hugging, squeezing effect.
Pain In Multiple Sclerosis: Inadequacy Of Epidemiological Studies
Pain is a major burden for patients with MS . The estimated prevalence of MS-related pain ranges widely from 26 to 86 % . The high variability reflects differences in the criteria used to define the various types of MS-related pain, the types of pain assessed in the epidemiological survey, the study sample , and the research methods . In a systematic review of pain related to MS, OConnor and colleagues found that most studies reported a prevalence higher than 50 %. In a meta-analysis , they calculated that 633/854 outpatients had pain within 1 month .
The discrepancy in study design and methods accounts also for differences in the reported risk factors for the development of pain related to MS . Whereas some studies reported an association between one or more of these factors and pain , others did not . A large sample study on the prevalence of pain in MS identified as the main factors associated with the development of pain a longer duration of disease, older age, a non-relapsing-remitting MS course and greater disability. A possible drawback of this finding is that all these factors are intermingled and the study lacked a multivariate analysis to distinguish the role of single factors. The role of the various risk factors in the development of pain therefore awaits clearer answers.
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You’re Having Trouble Texting Or Typing
“One of the first things we often see in MS patients is the inability to text, type, use a cellphone or tablet, or do other things that require fine motor control,” Segil says. As multiple sclerosis advances, it can cause “lesions,” or areas of damage on your nervous system. If you get a lesion on the back region of the brain, it can hurt your manual dexterity, he explains.
You Can’t Distinguish Between Colors Anymore
If you previously had a good eye for color, don’t brush this off, Segil says. “It’s called optic neuritis and it happens because of a loss of insulation around the optic nerves in the brain it’s one of the primary symptoms of multiple sclerosis,” he explains.
But it’s not just color-related: MS can also manifest as partial blindness, color blindness, blind spots, or blindness only in one eye. Some people describe this as looking through a smudged contact lens, or looking through a screen or through water, says Costello. It may also be associated with pain or a pulling sensation during eye movement.”
The onset of MS-related vision problems is usually slow, since the deterioration of the eyes happens over time. Optic neuritis can also happen on its ownwithout necessarily being associated with multiple sclerosisas a result of an infection, a vitamin deficiency, or other autoimmune diseases.
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You Have Trouble Swallowing Or Speaking Sometimes
Issues with speech and swallowing typically go hand-in-hand , per the National MS Society.
As far as speech goes, damaged areas of the brain can affect speech patterns, causing slurring or a more nasal sound to your voice.
Your brain is also largely in control of swallowing and yeah, not being able to swallow properly should definitely raise a red flag.
Mood Lability / Bipolar Affective Disorder
Mood swings alternating between mania and depression, known as bipolar disorder, are more common in MS than in the general population. Bipolar disorder may occur as a disease symptom, or may occur in response to drug treatment, most commonly, steroids.
ManagementLithium, carbamazepine, and valproate are the most commonly used mood stabilizers, as well as gabapentin and lamotrigine. Data on the use of these drugs in MS is mostly anecdotal and large studies are lacking. Of note, lithium can produce increased urine output and so may be poorly tolerated by people with bladder dysfunction.
Screening for additional mental health issues such as depression should be considered.
Key Healthcare Professionals: Family physician, neurologist, neuropsychiatrist.
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Your Back Pain Doesn’t Radiate Down Your Leg
If all you have is back pain, it’s unlikely to be the coronavirus or pneumonia. Back pain can arise from a series of non-virus related causes, such as a slipped disc, muscle strain, ligament strains, arthritis, and trauma, Poston says.
Henaku Yirenkyi, MD, an orthopedic spine surgeon with World Spine and Orthopedics, says that back pain from these other conditions often leads to a “radiation of pain into the lower extremities.” However, he says that back pain from COVID won’t radiate down your leg. And if you are experiencing back pain, check out these Easy Ways to Beat Back Pain Every Day.
Origins Of Lhermittes Sign
In 1917, French neurologists Pierre Marie and Charles Chatelin became the first people to describe the symptom.
In 1924, French neurologist Jean Lhermitte published the study thats credited with making the symptom more widely known. He was also the first person to note that the symptom was connected to MS.
Lhermitte consulted on a case of a woman who complained of:
- stomach pain
- poor coordination on the left side of her body
- an inability to rapidly flex her right hand
These symptoms are consistent with whats now known as MS. The woman also reported an electric sensation in her neck, back, and toes. This sensation was later named Lhermittes syndrome.
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When Should I See A Doctor If I Have Lower Back Pain
In many cases lower back pain stops on its own. But if it doesnt, here are some guidelines on when you may want to start seeking professional help:
- If the pain lasts four weeks or longer
- If the pain keeps getting worse as time goes by
- If you are experiencing other symptoms, such as fever, major weight loss or weight gain, loss of function or weakness in extremities, bladder problems, etc.
Why Are Females More At Risk
Females may be more at risk of MS because their bodies suppress the immune system while pregnant.
Vitamin D deficiency may also be linked with MS. Some researchers believe that there is a link between MS and the differences in the ways that male and female bodies process vitamin D. However, more studies are necessary.
Other researchers theorize that X chromosomes play a direct role in autoimmune function. X chromosome inactivation in females may result in them having more MS susceptibility genes. Again, more research is necessary.
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How Can I Manage Pain Myself
There is plenty you can try to see if it helps. Everyone is different so you may need to try a range of different options before you find what works best for you. You may need to do several at once for the best effect. Some people prefer these approaches to drug treatments as there is less worry about side effects.
Treating Spine Pain Caused By Multiple Sclerosis
by Paul Salinas | Oct 17, 2015 | Conditions |
Multiple sclerosis, or MS, is a chronic disease that damages the nervous system. While healthy individuals have a protective coating of a material known as myelin surrounding the nerves, those who suffer from MS have exposed nerves. MS breaks down the layer of myelin and leaves patients with unprotected nerves that do not work as well as they should. As a result, patients may experience a number of uncomfortable symptoms, including spine pain. Back pain treatment offered by our multidisciplinary team can relieve some of this pain and provide a greater degree of comfort for our patients. To undergo treatment for spine pain and MS at our Frisco practice, contact us today. Our team will do all they can to effectively treat this pain.
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