For those of you with pain...
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momofseven
- Newbie
- Posts: 5
- Joined: Wed Mar 11, 2015 6:49 pm
For those of you with pain...
Hello all. For those of you with pain and MS, can you tell me from where your pain comes? I am on the verge of a diagnosis, and am trying to figure out just which of my phantom symptoms of the last ten years I am going to be able to blame on MS. I mainly suffer pain in my hips and SI (sacro-iliac) joints, which I think is related to muscle spasms...
Re: For those of you with pain...
Hi and welcome to TIMS,
So sorry you have pain. My pain, mostly related to the "MS Hug" (lesions at T5-T7) is my worst symptom, but I also have horrific anal pain that my doctors assume is MS-related because X-rays didn't show any structural problems.
As you may already know, there are two kinds of pain, and a patient can have both kinds which can complicate the picture:
Neuropathic- pain from irritation/compression of nerves, nerve roots, and/or the cord itself. Some examples are burning, electrical zings and zaps, tingling, numbness. Lyrica, Neurontin, and nerve block injections can help.
Nocioceptive- pain from damage to muscles, ligaments, bones, tissue, visceral organs, and skin. Some examples are throbbing, aching, stabbing. Anti-inflammatories, opiates, and trigger-point injections can help.
Because the actual cord ends at level L1 - L2 and then splits into separate nerves (e.g., sciatic nerve), the lumbar and sacral areas are not imaged on MRIs for MS (brain, c-spine, t-spine). Therefore, if you don't already have them, ask for lumbar, sacral, and pelvic X-rays to check for structural problems, such as foraminal stenosis (compression of nerve roots) caused by disc problems (bulging, herniated, DDD), bone spurs, spondylolisthesis, etc.
I suggest asking your primary doctor for these X-rays and a referral to a pain management specialist.
Good luck!
So sorry you have pain. My pain, mostly related to the "MS Hug" (lesions at T5-T7) is my worst symptom, but I also have horrific anal pain that my doctors assume is MS-related because X-rays didn't show any structural problems.
As you may already know, there are two kinds of pain, and a patient can have both kinds which can complicate the picture:
Neuropathic- pain from irritation/compression of nerves, nerve roots, and/or the cord itself. Some examples are burning, electrical zings and zaps, tingling, numbness. Lyrica, Neurontin, and nerve block injections can help.
Nocioceptive- pain from damage to muscles, ligaments, bones, tissue, visceral organs, and skin. Some examples are throbbing, aching, stabbing. Anti-inflammatories, opiates, and trigger-point injections can help.
Because the actual cord ends at level L1 - L2 and then splits into separate nerves (e.g., sciatic nerve), the lumbar and sacral areas are not imaged on MRIs for MS (brain, c-spine, t-spine). Therefore, if you don't already have them, ask for lumbar, sacral, and pelvic X-rays to check for structural problems, such as foraminal stenosis (compression of nerve roots) caused by disc problems (bulging, herniated, DDD), bone spurs, spondylolisthesis, etc.
I suggest asking your primary doctor for these X-rays and a referral to a pain management specialist.
Good luck!