Pain
The damage in the neurons caused by MS generates a “short circuit” that results in neuropathic pain. This pain has a piercing, burning, and squeezing feeling and can be either acute or chronic. Acute neuropathy pain is the usual initial symptom of MS, which can affect the face and the limbs.
5 to 10 percent of MS patients have paroxysmal pain in the face. It is the most noticeable symptom of trigeminal neuralgia in MS patients. Another acute pain in MS is Lhermitte’s, wherein bending the neck forward creates a stabbing, electric-shock-like pain that spreads from the head to the spine. Some individuals with dyssesthesia experience a scorching, painful, or constriction-like feeling. Paraesthesia may emerge as a tingling, pressure sensations of pins and needles, and accompanied by hypersensitive skin patches.
MS patients may find it difficult to walk or engage in other physical activities due to musculoskeletal pain. Muscle cramps can be extremely painful and often appear during sleep. Additionally, the abdomen and limbs may experience burning, tingling, numbness, and a feeling of being hugged or compressed. MS directly causes spasticity, which is the contraction or stiffness of muscles. Spasticity’s effect on walking will stress the joints, especially on the knee, ankle, hip, and back.
