Note that I'm obviously not a doctor, so this is just what I learned from various sites: At that time, I had no pain, so it wasn't a factor for me. However, everything I researched at that time said that MND generally does not cause significant pain (or numbness, paresthesias, etc). So, while not definitive from a diagnostic standpoint - the presence of pain or other sensory symptoms tends to point away from MND. (That seems to match up with what your doctor told you.)