Hi i’m back here after many months and a diagnosis of multifactoral. multifuctional balance disorder. Having been seeing an neuro physion (who is fantastic) for a few months now doing much better,
However, she feels that the not all of the factors contributing to my disorder have been diagnosed.
One newsymptom that has been bothering me recently is pain around my ribs,
Feels tight, crushing pain. like my bra is expremely tight, also feels like a heavy pressure on my chest when i lie down and ribs and skin feel tender and sore to touch. Somedays can be really bad. Does anyone who suffers from MS hug recognise these sensations?. Not sure if it is that or not, just really strange and quite painful.
Why does MS cause the hug or girdle effect?
This is a spasm-type symptom that is one of the more unusual effects of MS. Between each of our ribs are tiny muscles called intercostal muscles. These hold the ribs in place but provide flexibility at the same time. If these muscles go into spasm, the result can be uncomfortable or painful. This is sometimes referred to as ‘banding’.
Effects
People with this symptom of MS describe a burning or tight sensation which spreads around the rib cage, causing a crushing feeling that can range from uncomfortable to very painful. Sometimes it is accompanied by pins and needles. Most commonly felt around the ribs, occasionally the effect is experienced in the hands or feet.
Treatments
Individuals with MS who experience the hug or girdle effect do not always have the same degree of intensity of pain. For some, it is no more than an uncomfortable feeling, which passes without the need for any treatment. Others, however, need pain relief to deal with the spasm. Analgesic cream, warmth and painkillers are all used to provide relief. Your medical professional will discuss how best to manage your pain and will bear in mind any other drugs you are taking
Thanks. I do find a hot water bottle helps. Although I am not dx with MS this and L’Hermittes problem very prominent recently. I Seem to go in 5-6 month cycles of having these types of problems very badly, recovering a bit the heppening again, Very frustrating and tiring.
Don’t know if the hug thing I am having is MS related or not but my neuro physio is writing to my GP asking for me to have another brain/spine MR and a lumbar puncture.
Hi there! I’m new to all this, too, only got diagnosed middle of January, but I have a friend who had quite severe MS symptoms, so I know what it entails and so far I’ve been lucky with relatively mild symptoms. Anyway, at the moment I’m suffering from a numb right middle torso, going from spine below the shoulderblade around the side to my belly button, including boob. I get terrible itches that I cannot locate because of the numbness and also a weirdly tight sensation, as if I was wearing a very tight vest or bra. It doesn’ hurt or burn, but it feels as if my body was totally solid in that region and I find it difficult to breathe. Is that the MS hug as well? It’s been coming and never really going for a couple of weeks now…
xx