I am new here, be gentle with me and forgive me if posted in the wrong area.
Trauma link to MS - Lots of anecdotal cases but science doesn’t support?
I currently help to look after my wife who is a real trooper 13 year after her initial MS diagnosis, her treatments to date include, 8 years of Copaxone and now 6 months of Fingolimod, along with another 30+ tablets a day. All was going well (as well as it can) with her symptoms having a definite Left side emphasis, usually manifesting numbness, aching, foot drag to the left side also with regular headaches and temperature differences, one cold hand one hot hand. But my wife soldier’s on.
That was until, she experienced an accident (not her fault) where she was struck severely on her right arm and hip. Since then she has experiences pain and sensation changes to her right arm and right leg. Her arm feels like a dead arm with tingling sensation and a pain down her upper arm to her elbow then through to her forearm. Her hip she describes a stabbing knife being twisted in her joint, with pulsating pain down her leg and the same tingling, her right foot now scuffs when walking. Recently I had to stop her stirring her coffee as she actually had her last 2 fingers in the drink, she couldn’t feel it. The pain severely affect her walking, and ability to get comfortable, sitting or standing for any duration hurts and constantly feels sick.
Three MS nurses have all suggested the trauma has caused this MS relapse, but the consultants are more reluctant as there is no scientific evidence to support such a diagnosis, suggesting instead that stress is the triggering factor, one even suggesting that coincidence may need to be considered, the relapse was going to happen anyway and the accident not related to the cause for the relapse. Even suggesting it would be impossible to make a claim for ‘Relapse caused by trauma’, and this was from our own consultant. However we are now six months on, the pain is still at the impact sites and the sensation changes are still there, it really doesn’t appear to be remitting. Her once good side is now mirroring her left side but with more pain, all since the date of the accident, one heck of a coincidence.
Has anybody out there suffered a relapse or MS onset which you put down to a physical trauma?
Or is MS the easy excuse and preventing further exploration in to other causes for the ongoing pain and changed sensations, which could be always be direct nerve damage to trauma site.