By Jimbo:
Does anyone else have this symptom?
It's banding around my entire mid section and won't ever let go. Years of this and I still cannot get used to it. The skin is numb all around (is numb the word?), my muscles feel like they are closing in on my insides and I know my guts are feeling the sting of it too. I don't even want to get into that.
How do you deal with a spasm (is that really the definition??) that doesn't go away? The whole stomach and the back opposite....A heating pad works until I try and lift something or play my instruments.
Anyway, I need advice about the abdominal spasm, that's the point of this message.
By Regina:
It sounds a bit like with my let me call it chest ache: it feels as if you're stuck in a vise-like grip, and the pressure on your chest grows and grows? This is how I feel sometimes, and I take Copaxone each day.
Anyway, so when that happens to me, and the additional Ibuprofen doesn't help, and the lying down as flat as possible doesn't do no good either, I found cold being of help. I have a special cool-down-vest, and as funny as it may sound, the freezing cold for up to 2 hours takes away the pressure, the pain.
Heat would be the least thing in the world to help!
Try this one.
By Regina:
I know the feeling, but two days ago I read about it here first! Can anyone explain it to me (in a more medical sense?). I've never read on German sites about it. My doctor says all I can do is take pain relievers, I found out that cold and ice helps me best and lying down absolutely flat. But... what exactly is it and where does it come from?
By Tim:
Being an acupuncturist, I would have to agree. Acupuncture would be a good modality. Personally, I would prefer electro--auriculotherapy because I feel it's more diagnostic and I have more control with it and can be more specific in my treatment areas.
What you have to understand with Acupuncture and auriculotherapy (which is a form of Acupuncture using reflex points in the ear) is that its main mechanism is to reset body control functions. By resetting these functions, the body will start operating properly and can heal itself.
The limitation is, if the damage is severe enough that the body has no way to heal it even if it was functioning properly, such as severed nerves (the eventual result of MS). As my one of my instructors used to say, "matter has its limits". So, while Acupuncture is extremely effective in resetting muscle tone and I use it extensively for that, and it could significantly help with the "MS hug". If the reason for the "MS hug" is due to severed nerves within the central nervous system, it may not be that effective. Therefore, other therapies that stimulate the muscle to contract may be required to reset the tone of the muscles.
So, I would focus on all three modalities. Acupuncture (auriculotherapy), stimulation of the mechanical receptors (spinal manipulation) and Russian stim.
The interesting thing with auriculotherapy is, within the first few minutes of treatment, you can tell whether it's working or not. The patient should experience a reduction in the muscle spasms that quickly. Once the auriculotherapy has minimized the spasms as much as possible, then you stimulate the mechanical receptors by adjusting (which should add another level of relief). If these previous steps don't work or have limited effect, then I would try Russian stim. The other aspect it considers nutrition, make sure the patient has plenty of potassium and calcium within their diet and that there are absorbing it. Low levels of potassium and calcium will also increase muscle tone and make a person more prone to spasms. If none of these work, then my toolbox is empty.
The MS hug is a good way to describe this.
I too use ice packs on the back of my neck and my head when I over heat (due to the summer anyway).
By Tim:
I've experienced the MS hugged for about 10 years now, on and off. I don't believe I've had it as severe as some of the people have stated. To me it is just a constricted band about 10 inches wide that wraps around my body at the lower part of the rib cage.
I'm not sure what the reason is for this, obviously is neurological of some sort. But there are a few distinct causes for muscle spasms. One of them is a decrease in the signal output of mechanical receptors. Each type of nerve has its own distinct job or sensory area. Some nerves carry pain, others touch, others hot and cold, and others detect mechanical motion. It is these nerves that tell your brain where your body is in space. Users also have the unique capability of inhibiting pain. That's why when you get hit in the arm with the ball, rubbing the arm makes it feel better. Rubbing doesn't fix anything, but it stimulates the mechanical receptors in the skin, which inhibits the pain signals from the blow. Hence the term "walk it off".
When the body interprets an increase in the pain signal (which is actually can be a decrease in inhibition) it interprets that area has been injured and does its best to restrict movement in that area by increasing muscle tone. The increased restricted movement now, of course decreased the inhibition to a larger extent. Which in turn would cause the body to try to restrict the motion even more. So the cycle begins. For me, what I had found, was when I was experiencing a episode of "MS hug", my thoracic spine was locked up. I would find that my thoracic spine had nearly no emotion/flexibility. I would have someone adjust/manipulate my thoracic spine, which broke the cycle, and the "MS hug" quickly dissipated.
The other thing with muscle spasms, is that the muscles require a certain level of stimulation to maintain the proper tone. If they don't receive this stimulation, the muscles try to compensate, to become more sensitive to any kind of stimulation and in doing so would decrease the threshold limit. When this threshold level gets decreased to a certain point, it seems that the muscles create their own signal (actually they are responding to neurological background noise, for lack of a better term) and will self constrict which will increase tone and go into spasms.
And I don't know if this happens with the MS hug, this is what happens in my legs and arms. The only way to break this cycle is to force the muscles to contract with stimulus, so that they reset their threshold to a higher level and thereby decreasing muscle tone and spasms. I do this by utilizing a technique called "Russian stimulation". This is a physical therapy technique, utilizing the electric stimulation in a specific frequency through adhesive pads placed over the muscles being treated. By forcing the muscles to contract with electrical stimulation, three things happen. 1) the muscles are actually getting exercised, and muscle loss is decreased. 2) since the muscles are being stimulated, their threshold is being increased and therefore require a greater or logical signal to try to fire. Hence the background noise no longer triggers a contraction. 3) because the muscle is being contracted and relaxed, there is increased blood flow into the muscle tissue which will also have a big effect on decreasing the tone and spasms.
With the "MS hug" there's also the possibility that the core muscles (the muscles that allow you to stand straight up) may be weakened by the MS and other muscles try to compensate for this weakness, they become overworked and spasms. Therefore, strengthening the core muscles may help prevent episodes of the "MS hug". But, once the cycle has started, you first need to reset the muscle tone whether it be with physical therapy or instilling motion into the thoracic spine to activate the mechanical receptors. Whatever seems to work best for you.
The thing to remember, is that your body is doing what it thinks is best. It's trying to compensate for the disorder, and doing its best to survive. It just sometimes gets it wrong. Sometimes the solution is worse than the problem. Sometimes the best therapy is developed when a person looks at what the bodies trying to compensate for, and focus on that rather than the symptom. Because if you can take care of what is trying to be compensate for, the symptom will go away.
Sorry if this seemed a little long-winded, but I thought it might help.
By Tim:
In the above posting, "User" was supposed to be "These nerves".
And, "emotion" was supposed to be "motion".
Does anyone else have this symptom?
It's banding around my entire mid section and won't ever let go. Years of this and I still cannot get used to it. The skin is numb all around (is numb the word?), my muscles feel like they are closing in on my insides and I know my guts are feeling the sting of it too. I don't even want to get into that.
How do you deal with a spasm (is that really the definition??) that doesn't go away? The whole stomach and the back opposite....A heating pad works until I try and lift something or play my instruments.
Anyway, I need advice about the abdominal spasm, that's the point of this message.
By Regina:
It sounds a bit like with my let me call it chest ache: it feels as if you're stuck in a vise-like grip, and the pressure on your chest grows and grows? This is how I feel sometimes, and I take Copaxone each day.
Anyway, so when that happens to me, and the additional Ibuprofen doesn't help, and the lying down as flat as possible doesn't do no good either, I found cold being of help. I have a special cool-down-vest, and as funny as it may sound, the freezing cold for up to 2 hours takes away the pressure, the pain.
Heat would be the least thing in the world to help!
Try this one.
By Regina:
I know the feeling, but two days ago I read about it here first! Can anyone explain it to me (in a more medical sense?). I've never read on German sites about it. My doctor says all I can do is take pain relievers, I found out that cold and ice helps me best and lying down absolutely flat. But... what exactly is it and where does it come from?
By Tim:
Being an acupuncturist, I would have to agree. Acupuncture would be a good modality. Personally, I would prefer electro--auriculotherapy because I feel it's more diagnostic and I have more control with it and can be more specific in my treatment areas.
What you have to understand with Acupuncture and auriculotherapy (which is a form of Acupuncture using reflex points in the ear) is that its main mechanism is to reset body control functions. By resetting these functions, the body will start operating properly and can heal itself.
The limitation is, if the damage is severe enough that the body has no way to heal it even if it was functioning properly, such as severed nerves (the eventual result of MS). As my one of my instructors used to say, "matter has its limits". So, while Acupuncture is extremely effective in resetting muscle tone and I use it extensively for that, and it could significantly help with the "MS hug". If the reason for the "MS hug" is due to severed nerves within the central nervous system, it may not be that effective. Therefore, other therapies that stimulate the muscle to contract may be required to reset the tone of the muscles.
So, I would focus on all three modalities. Acupuncture (auriculotherapy), stimulation of the mechanical receptors (spinal manipulation) and Russian stim.
The interesting thing with auriculotherapy is, within the first few minutes of treatment, you can tell whether it's working or not. The patient should experience a reduction in the muscle spasms that quickly. Once the auriculotherapy has minimized the spasms as much as possible, then you stimulate the mechanical receptors by adjusting (which should add another level of relief). If these previous steps don't work or have limited effect, then I would try Russian stim. The other aspect it considers nutrition, make sure the patient has plenty of potassium and calcium within their diet and that there are absorbing it. Low levels of potassium and calcium will also increase muscle tone and make a person more prone to spasms. If none of these work, then my toolbox is empty.
The MS hug is a good way to describe this.
I too use ice packs on the back of my neck and my head when I over heat (due to the summer anyway).
By Tim:
I've experienced the MS hugged for about 10 years now, on and off. I don't believe I've had it as severe as some of the people have stated. To me it is just a constricted band about 10 inches wide that wraps around my body at the lower part of the rib cage.
I'm not sure what the reason is for this, obviously is neurological of some sort. But there are a few distinct causes for muscle spasms. One of them is a decrease in the signal output of mechanical receptors. Each type of nerve has its own distinct job or sensory area. Some nerves carry pain, others touch, others hot and cold, and others detect mechanical motion. It is these nerves that tell your brain where your body is in space. Users also have the unique capability of inhibiting pain. That's why when you get hit in the arm with the ball, rubbing the arm makes it feel better. Rubbing doesn't fix anything, but it stimulates the mechanical receptors in the skin, which inhibits the pain signals from the blow. Hence the term "walk it off".
When the body interprets an increase in the pain signal (which is actually can be a decrease in inhibition) it interprets that area has been injured and does its best to restrict movement in that area by increasing muscle tone. The increased restricted movement now, of course decreased the inhibition to a larger extent. Which in turn would cause the body to try to restrict the motion even more. So the cycle begins. For me, what I had found, was when I was experiencing a episode of "MS hug", my thoracic spine was locked up. I would find that my thoracic spine had nearly no emotion/flexibility. I would have someone adjust/manipulate my thoracic spine, which broke the cycle, and the "MS hug" quickly dissipated.
The other thing with muscle spasms, is that the muscles require a certain level of stimulation to maintain the proper tone. If they don't receive this stimulation, the muscles try to compensate, to become more sensitive to any kind of stimulation and in doing so would decrease the threshold limit. When this threshold level gets decreased to a certain point, it seems that the muscles create their own signal (actually they are responding to neurological background noise, for lack of a better term) and will self constrict which will increase tone and go into spasms.
And I don't know if this happens with the MS hug, this is what happens in my legs and arms. The only way to break this cycle is to force the muscles to contract with stimulus, so that they reset their threshold to a higher level and thereby decreasing muscle tone and spasms. I do this by utilizing a technique called "Russian stimulation". This is a physical therapy technique, utilizing the electric stimulation in a specific frequency through adhesive pads placed over the muscles being treated. By forcing the muscles to contract with electrical stimulation, three things happen. 1) the muscles are actually getting exercised, and muscle loss is decreased. 2) since the muscles are being stimulated, their threshold is being increased and therefore require a greater or logical signal to try to fire. Hence the background noise no longer triggers a contraction. 3) because the muscle is being contracted and relaxed, there is increased blood flow into the muscle tissue which will also have a big effect on decreasing the tone and spasms.
With the "MS hug" there's also the possibility that the core muscles (the muscles that allow you to stand straight up) may be weakened by the MS and other muscles try to compensate for this weakness, they become overworked and spasms. Therefore, strengthening the core muscles may help prevent episodes of the "MS hug". But, once the cycle has started, you first need to reset the muscle tone whether it be with physical therapy or instilling motion into the thoracic spine to activate the mechanical receptors. Whatever seems to work best for you.
The thing to remember, is that your body is doing what it thinks is best. It's trying to compensate for the disorder, and doing its best to survive. It just sometimes gets it wrong. Sometimes the solution is worse than the problem. Sometimes the best therapy is developed when a person looks at what the bodies trying to compensate for, and focus on that rather than the symptom. Because if you can take care of what is trying to be compensate for, the symptom will go away.
Sorry if this seemed a little long-winded, but I thought it might help.
By Tim:
In the above posting, "User" was supposed to be "These nerves".
And, "emotion" was supposed to be "motion".
Can it also feel like a hot burning log was shoved in your whole midsection? This happened to me a few months ago but I have bladder/kidney issues which put off to that. It also landed me in the hospital only to find the tests were normal.
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