Pain can pull you out of life’s pleasures and plant you in a territory that’s agonizing, isolating and depressing. Around 60 percent of multiple sclerosis patients travel this road with the pain they experience at some point in the course of their disease. While you might think the only options are either to take medication or struggle through it, MS experts say there are other ways to get effective pain relief.
“When you have multiple sclerosis, pain can arise from several sources and show up in different areas of the body,” explains Dr. Kamal Chemali, a neurologist for Sentara Healthcare in Virginia and North Carolina. “That’s because MS is an autoimmune disease that creates inflammatory lesions in the brain and spinal cord, the consequences of which can include headaches, pain in the face (trigeminal neuralgia), muscle spasticity and spasms, a girdling sensation around the waist (known as an MS ‘hug’), as well as tingling, burning and aching pain throughout other areas of the body,” Chemali explains.
Medications are one way to approach these agonizing issues.
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Medications
“There are several different prescription medications that work on central or peripheral pain, and narcotics are among them,” Chemali says. “But in general, neurologists don’t want to jump on narcotic medications as the first line of treatment because they can have serious side effects. Addiction is one of them. Instead, we prefer to use non-narcotic meds that modify certain pain receptors in the brain,” he adds. Popular drugs include Neurontin (gabapentin), Tegretol (carbamazepine) and Dilantin (phenytoin). These medications are also prescribed as anticonvulsants for those suffering with epilepsy. Another approach is antidepressants and antispasmodic drugs. Both work to soothe pain by calming over stimulated nerves.
Chemali also points to over-the-counter options for muscular or skeletal pain such as aspirin, ibuprofen and acetaminophen. “Like all drugs, these also have side effects, such as stomach irritation, so always speak with your doctor first before taking them,” he cautions.
Acupuncture
The idea of having tiny needles inserted into your skin, when you’re already experiencing pain, can be off-putting. But acupuncture may be worth a few seconds of discomfort since it can help relieve more severe MS pain. Acupuncture is based on the ancient Chinese medical treatment of balancing “chi,” or life force. It’s thought to open blocked energy pathways and, in the process, release pain. In a study published in June 2014 in the journal Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, scientists examined the effects of acupuncture on quality-of-life measures in MS patients, including the level of their pain. Researchers found evidence showing acupuncture is effective in relieving discomfort. The review also concluded more evidence was needed to make a definitive recommendation.
But the National Multiple Sclerosis Society suggests acupuncture for relief for some MS-related symptoms, including pain, spasticity, numbness and tingling. Check the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine to find a licensed practitioner in your area.
Guided Imagery
By using guided imagery, whether it means imagining your body is letting go of physical torment, or envisioning sitting on the beach watching the waves roll in and out, pain sufferers can use mental images to help themselves relax. In a small study of MS patients, guided imagery was shown to decrease anxiety.
“Anxiety and fear intensify sensations of pain because the patient is focusing their minds on the pain alone,” explains Heidi Maloni, national clinical nursing director of the Multiple Sclerosis Centers of Excellence, East. “When the mind is placed elsewhere as it does with guided imagery, it can concentrate on something other than discomfort, and the experience of pain lessens.” Other studies on the use of guided imagery have shown this technique also reduces post-operative pain, cancer pain and headaches.
Yoga
You’ve probably heard by now about the benefits of yoga, a practice that involves assuming specific body postures (asanas). “Yoga may reduce MS patients’ pain by helping relax their muscles, increase flexibility and ease anxiety,” Maloni says. Yoga postures can also be adapted to fit an individual’s level of ability, so there’s no need to think you have to twist yourself into a pretzel to get its benefits. Many yoga positions can even be done while seated.
[See: 10 Seemingly Innocent Symptoms You Shouldn’t Ignore.]
Meditation
You don’t need a special meditation room, or a particular cushion or chair, in order to meditate. You can do it while you’re walking or just sitting on the couch looking out the window. The trick is to quiet your mind. One way to achieve this is by following your breath. Another is to internally repeat a calming word or phrase like “peace” or “let all beings be happy.” A study published in a 2011 issue of the International Journal of MS Care reported that participants in a meditation program showed significant overall improvement in lowering their levels of pain.
A more recent study reported in the 2016 issue of the Journal of Neuroscience and conducted at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in North Carolina looked at the effect of meditation on pain and found that those participants who meditated were able to reduce their pain as much as 21 percent without taking any pain medications.
Music
“Although there aren’t any definitive studies showing that music can reduce pain specifically in MS patients, there have been at least 100 studies showing the positive effects music has on healing, including pain reduction,” Chemali says. For example, researchers from the Cleveland Clinic found that patients who listened to music had four times less pain after their surgeries. Scientists believe the reason for music’s power is that it reaches into deep brain structures. These findings were presented at the Music and Brain Symposium in New York in October 2009.
Botox
Spasticity, a painful tightness or stiffness of the muscles, is a common symptom of MS. Botox injections have been shown to block spastic connections between the nerves and muscles that typically occur in the legs, groin and buttocks of MS patients, and offer short-term relief (up to three months). For the best effect, it’s recommended that patients also continue with their physical therapy while receiving the injections. Botox has also been shown to relieve headache pain, another common symptom of multiple sclerosis.
[See: 10 Lessons From Empowered Patients.]
Massage
A small pilot study of 24 folks with MS showed that regular weekly massages significantly reduced spasticity, fatigue and pain. The results were published in a 2017 issue of the International Journal of Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork. Other perks from massage? Lowering stress and helping to reduce muscle stiffness.
But there’s one thing you should never do about your pain: Keep it to yourself. “Be proactive about your discomfort. Make sure you put it front and center when speaking with your neurologist,” Maloni says. “Don’t wait to bring it up when your appointment time is running out.” Maloni’s other suggestion is to keep a diary. “Chronicle how the pain feels, and when and how often you experience it. In this way you can help your doctor to discover your pain’s level and triggers, and hopefully come up with the best ways to manage it.”
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8 Ways to Ease MS Pain originally appeared on usnews.com
