I get this too, only I don't feel too much pain around the spine, just around the rib cage. Basically, it is the MS hug and during a flare it can be so intense and can immobilze you for a bit.

I do have an odd sensation there all the time. It's hard to describe. Sometimes wearing a bra will set it off (I have several bras each for different times. LOL).

I do take Neurontin daily for some of the nerve pain as I have severed nerves in that area (or maybe just dead nerves from the lesion). So I have areas on my rib cage that I have no feeling at all. (Found that out while at PT and they used a TENS unit there).

This is what I do for the pain when it gets bad. I use the TENS unit (if I can tolerate it), then put a warm pack on the area for 10 minutes, then have someone GENTLY massage my back (if someone is around to do this), after that I put ice packs on it for 10 minutes. The ice feels great.

If anything, using just the ice helps me so much with nerve pain. I can't tell you how many times I have gone to sleep with an ice pack on my back or in the rib cage area.

I also take Epsom salt baths which really help a lot.

LOL on the dr's response. I had a MS specialist tell me when I was 1st diagnosed that MS is not painful.

Let us know how you are doing.