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Multiple Sclerosis Pain - Examining Types and Treatments
Sometimes it can be short sharp pains but more often than not it pain that radiates and lasts for hours and days to even months without relief.
Many describe this pain as one that is no limited to only one area of the body, or it can affect several areas at the same time and then disappear for no reason at all.
Many patients describe this pain as similar to a toothache, a dull continuous throbbing.
Others call it a burning sensation or the feeling of great pressure being applied to the area.
However it is described it is the cause of great stress in the affected sufferer.
The most common pain multiple sclerosis sufferers experience can be broken down into four main categories.
Acute MS pain can appear suddenly be very intense in nature and then disappear just as quickly as it arrived.
Trigeminal Neuralgia is a pain in the facial area that can be brought on by any type of facial movement such as sneezing or even chewing.
Lhermitte's sign is a short stabbing or electric shock pain that is caused by bending the neck forward; it starts at the back of the head and runs down the spine.
Dysesthesia is a burning or cramping feeling that feels like it is "girdling" around your chest that can be very painful.
There are many treatments for these types of pain for multiple sclerosis sufferers.
One of the more common medications used is an anti-convulsant.
The theory behind using these medications is that common pain relievers such as aspirin and ibuprofen act on the brains receptors and they will not work.
An MS sufferer's pain originates in the central nervous system, making the use of an anti-convulsant that controls pain in the muscle far more likely to achieve some measure of relief.
Botox has recently been tested to see if it offers any relief from the pain of multiple sclerosis because it causes the muscles where it is injected to relax.
So far results in test patients have shown relief that has lasted for up to six months from the time of injection.
Searching for pain relief may take time and experimentation before you find what combination works for you.
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