[daisy.girl]

I know there has had to have been a lot of talk about this subject, so I searched.....and nothing came up.
I am having a lot of pain between my shoulder blades. Really hard for me to explain, it feels muscular, hurts when I go to move, or try to sit up. a sudden sharp pain.
It doesn't feel at all like a hug, and it is only in my back, however, it does go up into my shoulders and neck, but not around to my chest.
Not sure if this is even anything like the "HUG".

I did sit on a small step stool to rearrange a small shelf yesterday.....but really; can such a small amount of activity cause such pain with an MS patient and if so WHY?? What is it that doesn't allow me to do much of anything anymore?

[SallyC]

It sounds like the pain I used to get in my arms shoulders and neck. Mine was caused by the MS fatigue and walking and sitting in weird positions, due to the fatigue. It usually meant I was in the middle of an exacerbation. Bursitis(sp), maybe?

Feel better soon, dear one..

[msarkie]

Is it more to one side or the other? Or right along your spine? Do you ever have an itchy feeling that seems to kind of "float" around in the same general area? There's a nerve that runs around from your spine to your side, I forget what it's called, and if it's being irritated it can cause these symptoms, as well as the breathing issues. When mine is unhappy you can literally feel the ball of tension just under my shoulderblade.

Try an ice pack on your back and neck and see if it helps any! Sometimes yoga stretches are helpful too. So sorry you're having to deal with this!

[daisy.girl]

It is more right along the spine.....and yes, I used to get that itchy feeling all the time, but NEVER thought it related to MS. but, I am not having the itchy feeling now.

I do get dystonia, where my neck is pulled down to the right with severe spasms, so don't know if this is related or not.

Just severe pain....think I am going to go soak in epsom salts bath again.

I don't know what to do, My nurse comes tomorrow to teach me to begin the copaxone.

I have never had steroids either, my choice.....I alway refuse, but wondering now if I should, and would that matter with just beginning the copaxone??

I really feel bad!

[tkrik]

Daisy - I'm sorry you are in such pain. I'm not sure if it is the hug. It doesn't really sound like it from what I have experienced. Mine wraps around my left ribcage, mostly under the left breast area. It goes from slightly in my back all the way around to my stomach and sometimes crosses over to the edge of the right ribs. (The pattern of nerve pain follows along the dermatomes when they do the pinprick testing on my. ) But, when it is really bad I tense up the muscles in my shoulders which causes muscle tension and spasms in my shoulder blade area. Again, this is just my experience. Others may have experienced what you have. We are each different.

As far as what it feels like, I get ripping, sharp, stabbing pain on an off and then the muscle spasms start. Sometimes I get the spasms with out the nerve stuff. When things are bad, I have numb patches in that area where I can't feel anything. I also don't have abdominal reflexes on the left side. The muscles in between the ribs go in to spasms and it doesn't feel too good. I've been getting massages and they are helping to relax those muscles. The massage therapist has commented more than once how spastic or tight those muscles are. I, like others on here, have the hug everyday to varying degrees. Some days it's just an annoyance, others it is hard to sit and do normal things and even breathing is difficult (or at least that's how it feels as it feels like something is constricting the ribs). Most of the time, I can't wear a bra. I reserve that to when I have to be out in public. It hurts too much wearing it and it sets off all that nervy itchy feeling that msarkie is talking about. Of note, shingles can feel the same way but those with shingles have that distinctive rash along the path of the nerve. The hug doesn't do that.

Just my suggestion, put a call in to your dr. Start with your PCP as this may or may not be an MS thing. Then take it from there. In the meantime, heat and/or ice may help. I find that if the area is too "nervy" heat does NOT help and actually hurts. In this case, I only use ice which helps me the most whether nervy or not. If it is more muscular than nerve, low heat followed by ice helps. The hard part is that for you it is in an area that is hard to reach so something like Salonpas won't work unless you have someone who can put the patch on for you or rub some muscle rub cream on it.

Many gentle 's for you and let us know how you are doing.

[mochagirl13]

Now you've got me wondering if I have experienced a variation of the hug. Last night when I got in the bed I had difficulty breathing, a pain above my collar bone on the right and the right side of my neck was burning. Felt like it was on fire. It was so bad, I was almost in tears. I rarely cry except when I watch Beaches. I'll bring this up to my neuro. I'll see her before my pcp as I had a mri last week.

I get the itchy patches in different spots than the numb patches. MS is like snowflakes, no two people have the exact same symptoms.

I hope you feel better and the copaxane works for you.

[jacksonsmommy]

Sounds like it may be a seized muscle/spasisity (sp?). I'd try seeing what a massage therapist can do with it.

[Lady]

Daisy, the dystonia can leave you with tight, stiff muscles from being pulled and jerked. How often do you get the dystonia attacks and how long do they last?

Call your doctor and see what his opinion is, perhaps some medication or massage therapy can help. I don't think is sounds like the MS hug to me, which has been with me for about 12 years straight. It's the pits. Whoever named it the hug, had a terrible sense of humor.

[Dejibo]

mine is MS and it is pushed hard by fatigue. The more tired I am, the worse it gets. Sometimes it feels like someone pulled my arm out of the socket and put it back in wrong. Chiropractor is enormously helpful. I would be lost without her. Baclofen helps, but doesnt take it away.

I hope you feel better.

[jacksonsmommy]

A clonazepam may also help.....