Why Does MS Cause Pain?
Multiple sclerosis can cause pain for different reasons. The main reason is that the nervous system in your spinal cord has been damaged, which can both cause chronic pain on its own and lead to other types of pain from changes to your body. Spontaneous pain is often a type of neuropathic pain, as the source of pain is usually in your damaged nerves. This can come and go almost randomly, and there’s little a person can do without getting qualified medical treatment or physical therapy.
If you move differently because of MS, you might have painful spasms because of extra pressure put on different parts of your body. These sources of pain, known as musculoskeletal pain, are far easier to explain, although it doesn’t make them any easier to live with.
What Areas of the Body Most Likely Experience MS-Related Pain?
It depends on the body. Joint pain is a prevalent symptom of MS, as people can have trouble adjusting to their body’s new realities and put extra pressure on their joints while they move through daily life. Facial pain is another common symptom of MS because of damage to the trigeminal nerve, which provides sensations to the muscles in and around your jaw.
One other common symptom is chest pain, commonly known as the MS hug. As with other types of MS pain, it can feel different to every person and might be felt across the entire chest or stomach, or only on one side. It all depends on your body.
