What is spacticity in MS patients?

Hi there, I'm still trying to cope with both spasticity and spasms. It often occurs out of the blue and is a very scary episode

Hi, I'm not sure if I get spasticity or spasms or both, so here goes- I get pain in my lower back, hips and legs, in my legs I get a 'cramp'  feeling which is painful and can take ages to go - I do have spondylosis in my lower back so maybe that's the pain? The one that scares me is when I go to bed I I have continuous spasms in my face, my jaw locks, my tongue gets pressed against the roof of my mouth and my whole body locks up and I cannot move at all - i have to wait for it to release as I cannot call out to my husband, if he comes into the bedroom to get me up I can only grunt at him so he knows I cannot move, he then has to take hold of my arms first, moves them about to release them so that I can massage my face to relax the muscles, he then manipulates my legs until I can move them myself. Can anyone give me some advice to  be able to deal with this please as my face problems started 2 years ago - I know I have a lesion at c3 and I have been told this the cause, I just want to know if there is anything that could help, I have tried different pillows a new mattress and ways to lie down to sleep. Many thanks in advance for any suggestions.

Hi, This is the first time I have commented on this site. I was diagnosed back in September 2006 (optic neuritis at work forced me to see a specialist) and apart from the usual problems of tiredness, weakness etc I have been fine. However, as it has been a while since I have been seen by anyone, I am seeing my GP this week, specifically because my wife has recently banned me from carrying my grand-daughter any distance. I have accidentally fallen awkwardly twice, once into the road. I’m hoping there may be some new medication available….

I’m unsure if this is spasticity per se but on some occasions , and only when I get up in the morning, my legs tend to tremor or shake at the knees. It goes off fairly quickly. Has anyone else experienced this?

I suffer with spasticity in my lower right leg which has progressively got worse - I cannot bend my leg at the knee and ankle - I have tried various different types of medication but nothing helps to alleviate the stiffness - now going for a course of physiotherapy. Has anyone else had experience of this and found something that works for them?

Hi everyone, if you have something to share, a piece of advice, you are welcome to comment!

Thank you in advance for your contribution.

Hi all, the biggest problem i am having at the moment is the lost of the use of my legs and have gone down or have to go down so many time's in the last week's, but all in all life is good 

Like Kathy52, I get spasms (or spasticity - I too don't really know the difference) in my shin bones which goes down along the top of my foot and is excruiciatingly painful but eventually goes away with massage, though I can't do this as I'm waiting for a hip replacement next month and cannot reach them.  My neurologist says I'm putting too much hope into my total hip replacement operation as she seems to think I will still have the same problem, but I'm thinking positively.

I also get the same sensation but this time it runs diagonally accross from either of my inner knees to the top of the thigh muscle.  This is so painful that it has made me pass out a couple of times and if I don't do that I get a cold sweat.  This can happen suddenly when trying to sit down or in the middle of the night when I'm asleep.  

I also fall over randomly.  

I have no lesions on my spine to date, though am due my annual MRI full scan next week and this problem only started about 10 months ago.  

I have been waiting for a hip replacement for two years now and have been fobbed off for various reasons and also because they lost my x-rays and then my notes at the hospital.  I was due to have it this month, and am on the fast-track list as they have finally confirmed that my hip is "as bad as it could get", but it has now been rescheduled for 5 October.  I have not been able to lie down to sleep for four months now and cannot believe that they have made me wait till I'm in this situation and then still make me wait 14 weeks for the operation.  Also, given that MS patients suffer pain and muscle problems already, you would think we would be given some priority.  I am self-employed as a professional harpist and music teacher and it has cost me thousands in lost income from weddings etc this summer.

Apart from that I love life (when I'm not having a pain episode!).