This Is MS Multiple Sclerosis Knowledge & Support Community

Okay, last question...

Pain, am I alone with the whole pain thing? Pain in the hips with any activity, pain to the touch on the arms, sacrum and hips? Pain behind the eye and migraines that kill?

I think that the fatigue comes form all of the pain...any thoughts?

Pain is an everyday reality for me. Headache, fatigue, shoulders, legs, back....... Can't hardly walk when I get up or out of the car.

I think this just goes along with MS.

CF

my only pain is in my neck. my neuro says my neck is "ratty for someone my age"

nutritional recommendations are all over the place! i like the third one best.

Pain & Nutrition
http://www.virtualrespiratorycentre.com ... id=27&lif=
Components of the Diet Linked to Pain
-Omega 3 Essential Fatty Acids
-Antioxidants
-Glucosamine and Chondroitin

Pain & Nutrition
http://www.doctorsforpain.com/patient/nutrition.html
Nutrition plays a very important part in various causes of pain (cancer and non-cancer pain, headache, arthritis, rheumatic disease, osteoarthritis and obesity, gout, Paget’s disease, myofascial pain syndrome, neuropathic and various painful neuropathies, painful chronic visceral disease and many others) all can benefit from various, alteration in diet or nutrition. For most painful condition I recommend vitamin C and E as well as high B complex together with a good multivitamin with minerals formula.

Chronic Pain and Nutrition
http://www.eorthopod.com/public/patient ... ition.html
What To Do
* Lose excess fat
* Eat two or more cups of fresh vegetables daily
* Avoid sweets and reduce starchy foods
* Increase clean, lean meat, poultry, fish, and eggs
* Use olive oil and snack on fresh fruit, nuts, and seeds
* Avoid artificial colorings, preservatives, hormones, antibiotics, and herbicide and pesticide residues in your food
* Take a good quality multiple vitamin/mineral supplement every day
* Think about other specific nutraceuticals for your own specific needs

What nutritional supplements should I consider?
-Anti-inflammatory Herbs
-Nutrients
* Vitamin D (cholecalciferol): New research shows a big increase in the number of people in the United States who don’t have enough Vitamin D. Low levels of Vitamin D are especially likely in people with chronic musculoskeletal pain, limb pain, and low-back pain.
* Niacinamide is a form of vitamin B3. It was first shown to be highly effective in the treatment of osteoarthritis more than 50 years ago. A recent well-designed study found that niacinamide therapy improved joint mobility. It also reduced objective inflammation.
* MSM (Methylsulfonylmethane)
* Glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate

Birdie...you are far from alone. Lots of MS folks have all kinds of pain. Burning, stabbing, aching, etc. Comes from bad nerve signals and fatigue can sure be part of that.

My husband's pains are in his legs and they get worse as the day goes on. He has found magnesium and MSM supplements help. He also uses relaxation and imagery to keep his mind focused on other things. He works at home, and is able to get off his legs and put them up in the evening. All of these measures make it bearable. Jimmy's nutrition rec. are all terrific. There are also prescription meds to help if none of these things work for you.

wish you the best figuring all this out...
AC
PS- JL...you and my husband and all ratty-necked would benefit from some yoga. Down-dog and inversions will lengthen the spine, and create space in between the discs. Really works

thanks for the neck advice cheer! i have definitely felt that some space needed to be created between the vertebrae. maybe downward dog will be all right, and shoulder stand. i tried stretching my neck one day and i twinged it and it was sore for a couple of weeks. the other day i tried putting my head down between my legs while sitting on the couch. my hands puffed straight up into full oven mitt glory :S something has to work!

Yikes! Stay away from shoulder stands and headstands for now, JL. You want to do inversions where there's no weight or pressure on your cervical spine. Sounds like you might need to consult with a doc, tho, since your hands puffed up just bending over! You can also get a cervical traction hookup to use at home...my chiro and this little guy helped me so much...

decompression

Can you find a good chiro in your area?
AC

I don't know if this will apply to your problem, but here is an article that talks about low vitamin D and chronic pain in women.




http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/117886.php

Low Vitamin D Levels Associated With Chronic Pain In Women
12 Aug 2008

Low vitamin D levels may contribute to chronic pain among women, suggests research published ahead of print in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.

The findings are based on the blood analyses and pain scores of almost 7000 45 year old men and women from across England, Scotland and Wales, all of whom were born during one week in March 1958.

Smokers, non-drinkers, the overweight and the underweight all reported higher rates of chronic pain.

The extent of chronic widespread pain did not vary among men according to vitamin D levels. However, this was not the case for women.

Women with vitamin D levels between 75 and 99 mmol/litre had the lowest rates of this type of pain, at just over 8%.

Women with levels of less than 25 mmol/litre had the highest rates, at 14.4%.

There appeared to be a J shaped curve, with the prevalence of widespread pain at 10% or higher among those with vitamin D levels above 99 mmol/litre.

The findings were not explained by gender differences in lifestyle or social factors, such as levels of physical activity and time spent outdoors, say the authors.

And at the age of 45, few of the women would have entered the menopause, a period during which bone mineral density falls as oestrogen levels dwindle.

But by way of possible explanations, the authors point to osteomalacia, a disease of extreme vitamin D deficiency, which is associated with isolated or generalised bone pain. The hormonally active form of vitamin D is also involved in the regulation of immune system responses.

Around one in 10 of the population suffers from chronic widespread pain at any one time, say the authors.

The causes are not fully understood, but social and psychological factors are known to affect the sensation and reporting of pain.