Can you feel the MS hug in your back?

The MS hug, also known as banding or girdling, is a symptom of multiple sclerosis in which you feel chest pain, rib pain or a tight uncomfortable band around your chest. It can be felt anywhere between the neck and the waist and may feel so tight around the chest that it's painful to breathe.
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Can the MS hug be felt in the back?

The 'MS hug' is symptom of MS that feels like an uncomfortable, sometimes painful feeling of tightness or pressure, usually around your stomach or chest. The pain or tightness can stretch all around the chest or stomach, or it can be just on one side. The MS hug can feel different from one person to another.
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Can you have MS in your back?

More severe cases can cause paralysis, vision loss, and mobility problems. Back pain is another common symptom of MS. There are a number of reasons people with MS may have back pain. For example, they may experience pain due to damaged nerves.
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What does MS back pain feel like?

Brief, intense pain that runs from the back of the head to the spine. Burning or aching across the body, which is also called the “MS hug” Aches caused by stiffness or muscle spasms.
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Does MS hug hurt to touch?

The MS hug is a tight, uncomfortable, sometimes painful sensation that wraps around your body like you are being squeezed. Some people report no pain. Instead, they feel pressure around their waist, torso, or neck. Others experience a band of tingling or burning in the same area.
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Coping with the MS Hug



Is the MS hug constant?

An MS hug may last for a few seconds, or it can be a constant sensation for many months or years. The length of the sensation may vary.
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Does MS hug feel like heartburn?

It is also known as banding or girdling. Like many MS symptoms, the MS hug feels different from person to person. Various people have described it as a feeling of pressure, an ache, a tickle, a pain, or a burning sensation.
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Where is back pain with MS?

Low back pain is very common in the general population, but even more so among people with multiple sclerosis (MS).
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What part of the spine does MS affect?

The cervical region is the upper part of the spine found in the neck. MS lesions on the cervical spine can cause similar symptoms to when they appear in other areas, such as numbness, weakness, and balance issues. In addition, they can cause loss of sensation in both the shoulders and arms.
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What is sclerosis in the back?

Spinal sclerosis is a degenerative condition that impacts the vertebrae and central nervous system, marked by an increased bone density in the affected area.
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Does MS feel like a pinched nerve?

It is also common for people and doctors to misattribute the initial symptoms of MS to something more benign, such as a pinched nerve or muscle strain. Sometimes a person may have the symptoms of MS for many years before he or she seeks medical attention and receives a correct diagnosis.
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Can you feel MS lesions?

Thus, MS lesions themselves cannot be felt. Instead, they may induce symptoms that result from tissue damage to the nervous system. The symptoms and signs of MS can vary depending on the particular location of the lesion.
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Can you have MS lesions on your spine and not your brain?

If a patient does have lesions in the spinal cord, he/she may be said to have Spinal MS. A smaller number of MS patients, approximately 20 percent, may have only spinal lesions and not brain lesions. I am an example of one of those 20 percent of MS patients who only have spinal lesions.
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Can MS cause shoulder blade pain?

Pain was very common in patients with MS and not relevant to sex or age. In the majority of the cases more than 1 limb was involved and the prevalence of pain in the lower limbs was higher, especially in the knees. In females, the prevalence of pain in the shoulders, upper back, and ankle was higher compared to males.
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Can MS hug be something else?

As a rule, most people agree that a hug is warm greeting in a cold world. But there are exceptions to every rule – and in this case that exception is the MS Hug. The MS Hug is the name given to a “band-like” sensation that feels like a tight strap or girdle wrapped around the torso area.
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Does MS hug make it hard to breathe?

Many people living with MS report having the MS Hug which is pain or tightness in the chest. Those who experience the MS Hug may experience difficulties breathing because of the pain and tightness in the chest.
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Where are most MS lesions found?

Lesions may be observed anywhere in the CNS white matter, including the supratentorium, infratentorium, and spinal cord; however, more typical locations for MS lesions include the periventricular white matter, brainstem, cerebellum, and spinal cord.
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Does your spine hurt with MS?

If you have MS, you may experience back pain for a number of reasons. For example, it may result from spasticity. This is a type of extreme tightness that's common in people with MS. Incorrectly using mobility aids can also put pressure on your back.
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Does MS show up on a spine MRI?

The magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may show areas of abnormality that suggest MS, though the MRI in and of itself does not make the diagnosis. Spinal fluid testing may show that the immune system is active in and around the brain and spinal cord, supporting the diagnosis. Evoked potentials may assist in diagnosis.
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Can MS cause back and hip pain?

Tightness or stiffness of the muscles, called spasticity, is caused directly by MS. Spasticity, will alter walking and cause pulling on the joints. This can result in pain typically in the ankles, knees, hips and back.
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Does MS hug cause chest pain?

The MS hug, also known as banding or girdling, is a symptom of multiple sclerosis in which you feel chest pain, rib pain or a tight uncomfortable band around your chest. It can be felt anywhere between the neck and the waist and may feel so tight around the chest that it's painful to breathe.
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What does MS feel like in legs?

Some people with MS describe it as like having bags of sand attached to their legs. This muscle weakness combined with MS fatigue can be upsetting. Weakness in your legs can cause balance and walking difficulties and you may be more likely to fall.
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Why do I feel like I have a tight band around my ribs?

Stress causes the body's muscles to contract and tighten, including those in the ribs and rib cage area. When the body becomes chronically stressed, which we call stress-response hyperstimulation, the body can exhibit a wide variety of muscle tension symptoms.
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Where do you feel esophageal spasms?

Esophageal spasms are painful contractions within the muscular tube connecting your mouth and stomach (esophagus). Esophageal spasms can feel like sudden, severe chest pain that lasts from a few minutes to hours. Some people may mistake it for heart pain (angina).
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Why do my ribs hurt under my breasts?

Costochondritis: The Most Common Cause of Breast Pain

Perhaps the most common cause of localized “breast pain” is costochondritis – inflammation in the ribs behind the breast. This may be due to increased physical activity or trauma, but often there is no known cause.
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