Pain Management Options for Multiple Sclerosis Patients

As anyone with multiple sclerosis may know, you are going to have your good days and bad days. Then you are going to have those times when you go into relapse and all of your symptoms become exacerbated to the point where you may need some pain management techniques to get through the day.

Muscle pain in people without can be treated with aspirin or some type of over the counter pain relief drug. People with MS however have a slightly different dilemma. Their pain is due to their nervous system sending mixed or partial signals to their muscles, thereby creating a different kind of pain that over the counter medications cannot always help.

Prescription Medications that Help

Two anti-convulsant medications – Tegretol and Neurontin – are effective in getting to the source of the pain but scientists and doctors have no idea how they really work for MS, just that they seem to do so. The Neurontin is actually for people with seizures but it is more often prescribed for MS patients.

The deal with taking these prescribed medications for MS is dealing with the side effects. They can make you tired, sleepy and a bit disoriented which all can lead to fatigue. Fatigue, unfortunately, is the primary concern that MS sufferers face every day. However, the fact that the pain of MS can be treated is a good thing. You just have to decide which drug produces the least amount of side effects.

Botox

There are a small percentage of MS patients whose pain is not adequately handled through anti-convulsant medications. Scientists have started looking to Botox as a possible MS treatment to help with the pain caused by muscle spasms and spasticity. Basically the Botox would be injected directly into a muscle and it would serve to paralyze the nerves inside the muscle causing the problem temporarily.

Alternative Pain Management Options

Some people will try anything, even herbal remedies to relieve the pain of MS. While not proven, a few MS sufferers had a minor relief from pain when they took evening primrose oil. The linoleic acid inside the evening primrose is supposed to reduce some inflammation of MS.

Reflexology is an ancient Chinese study and is very similar to massage, only the hands and feet are usually incorporated. Basically, the practice seems like a hybrid between regular massage and acupressure. After all, the reflexologist rubs your feet and hands to hit particular pressure points that supposedly regulate certain parts of the body.

Aromatherapy, special diets and exercise are all parts that can contribute to the reduction of pain. Aromatherapy is a proven method and of course, eating right and in balanced proportions is the best for your health. Exercise is one of the best methods of managing pain. The better shape you are in translates to fewer spastic attacks and pain.

The best thing for pain management, of course, is to see your doctor for options. Besides regular medication you already take for your MS, your doctor will have some ideas of how to combat and work through the pain. And your doctor will also have information about new treatments or clinical trials.