"MS hug (also referred to as girdle or banding) is a tightening feeling around the chest or abdomen and can range from annoying pressure to extreme pain. The sensation itself is the result of the intercostal muscles between each rib going into spasm. The burning, aching, or girdling pain around the body are all neurologic in origin. The technical name for them is dysesthesias.

It can begin with a sudden and intense tightening around your chest, along with pain and a burning sensation. It will typically cause you to clutch your chest and bring in a sense of fear. The first time this is experienced, you wonder if it's a heart attack, a panic attack, or an asthma attack. If you feel it's a heart attack call 911, but if you feel that it may be an MS Hug then you will definitely want to contact your neurologist.

Although it's an extremely unpleasant neurological event, it's not life-threatening. As with most symptoms of MS, the MS Hug feels differently to every individual. It has been described as feeling like being squeezed by a boa constrictor, compressed with an ever-tightening rubber band, or wearing a chest high girdle. It's important to know that the MS Hug actually doesn't interfere with the ability to breathe.

These pains are often treated with the anticonvulsant medication gabapentin. Dysesthesias may also be treated with an antidepressant such as amitriptyline, which modifies how the central nervous system reacts to pain. Other treatments include wearing a pressure stocking or glove, which can convert the sensation of pain to one of pressure; warm compresses to the skin, which may convert the sensation of pain to one of warmth; and over-the-counter acetaminophen which may be taken daily, under a physician's supervision." http://www.my-ms.org/symptoms_sensory.htm