Congrats on no rheumatic disease! That's good news.

In my opinion, I think a combination of therapies works well. I did not find baclofen helpful to me at all and it made me so groggy and irritable. So, I don't have any experience with that. Valium was way, way too strong. It probably helped with the muscle spasms but I don't know because I was sleeping all the time. I now take Ativan and that really seems to help me the best in regards to medications. I have done massage therapy and highly recommend it. The MT would do a gentle massage for 1/2 hour and over time, it really helped me a lot. I have done PT and OT and both have helped quite a bit. I could no longer afford the MT so as far as combination therapies have gone, the Ativan and OT/PT have worked well for me.

I don't know if that helps you with your questions as this is just my experiences based on what I have gone through.

A switch in neuro may be just what you need. Did your current neuro give you a recommendation for an MS specialist that you could see?

I do agree that sometimes it is great to see doctor's that are affiliated with universities. All my specialists are and I really like that not only can they view my test results and medical record, but they also know each other, for the most part, and are on committees together and such. It's kind of helpful in many ways. And, the cool thing is, most teaching facilities are up to date on a lot of therapies, new treatments, etc. I have found that to be a plus. All of my specialists are either professors or assistant professors who allow interns and residents to meet with me as well. You have many "eyes" looking at you and your record. I have also found that at a teaching facility they allot more time with each patient (anywhere from 1/2 hour to an hour). There are no 10 minute appointments.

I know that you will make the best decision based on what you have going on and with your doctors. Let us know what you decide.