Hi I have recently been diagnosed with ms (oct) I am suffering really bad with numbness I was just wondering if there is any advice anyone can give to help with it. I am having a lot of pain from it and I feel like I have no skin on my fingertips it hurts when I touch the area (at the moment my arm and hand) it hurts when it is in water. I was just wondering if there is any movements that I can do to help as my strength in my arm and movement is affected a lot. Thanks Hannah
Hi Hannah,
You don’t say what drugs (if any) you are on at the moment. I don’t think there will be any that actually help with numbness, as this is usually due to damage in the nerve pathways, which means the signals can’t get through. However, there are several drugs commonly prescribed to MSers that may help with nerve pain. If you’re not on any, or the dose you’re on isn’t working, you probably need to speak to your doctor or MS nurse.
If you feel up to it, then yes, you may be able to maintain or improve muscular strength with carefully targeted exercises. But as the exact nature of everyone’s disability is different, and what’s suitable for one may not be suitable for another, you may be best asking for a referral to a physiotherapist - preferably a specialist neuro physiotherapist. They will be able to do a proper assessment, and prescribe exercises personally tailored to you.
Hope this helps,
Tina
Thank you Tina At the moment I am on amitriptyline I am just starting to try and get the dose to the right level. I am seeing the doctor on Wednesday so I will ask her about seeing a specialist to see if there is anything to make it a bit more bearable. Thank you