MS Hug: An Overview

What Is MS Hug?

The MS hug feeling is characteristically described as tightness or pressure around the stomach and abdomen. It feels like someone is holding me tightly. MS hug is a painful symptom of multiple sclerosis (an autoimmune condition that affects the brain and spinal cord) and is very hard to describe. The feeling of MS hug pain and its location vary from person to person. In such a condition, the person may feel pain even when breathing. An MS hug can also feel like a heart attack. Any pain associated with the chest should be evaluated to rule out any heart or breathing-related problems.

What Does an MS Hug Feel Like?

MS hug is also known as banding or girdling. It may occur between the neck and the waist. The MS hug symptoms may feel like chest tightening, resulting in breathing problems. It appears as pressure on one side of the body for a few seconds. For some others, it may appear in the legs or hands. They feel as if they are wearing boots or gloves all the time. Some may feel a tightening in their head region. The pain may range from mild discomfort to severe pain. It may also vary in type, including aching, pressure, burning, or tingling pain.

Description of MS Hug:

The pain is felt under the rib cage. It can be described as

• Sharp-like stabbing type.

• It feels tight, as if the belt is too tight.

• It appears dull or crawly.

• The pain is of an aching type.

• Feel pressure.

• Pain may be described as pins and needles or pricks.

How Long Does an MS Hug Last?

The duration of an MS hug varies from person to person. For some, it may last just a few seconds or minutes. For others, it may even last for days. The duration may vary depending on MS hug triggers.

What Are the Causes of MS Hug?

Multiple sclerosis is the leading cause. In MS, nerves are demyelinated in the brain and spinal cord. Because of the damage to nerve cells, signals to and from other parts of the body are disrupted. Along with MS, other symptoms, such as muscle weakness, numbness, or spasms, may also be present in the legs or hands.

The tightness of the chest or stomach may be due to muscle spasms between the ribs (intercostal muscles). Sensations including aching, stabbing, crawling, or pins and needles may account for nerve pains called dysaesthesia (abnormal sensation).

MS hug does not occur suddenly or in the initial stage of MS. If it appears suddenly or surprisingly, it is a condition to be worried about. MS hug may be seen without MS, too. It may occur in certain situations involving inflammation, such as transverse myelitis (a nerve disorder characterized by inflammation of the spinal cord).

Triggering factors of MS hug include:

• Stress.

• Weakness.

• Variations in temperatures that occur suddenly.

• Wearing tight dresses sometimes intensifies the tightness of the MS hug.

• An underlying condition.

MS hug triggers may also vary from one to another. MS hug may be present for seconds to minutes. If the MS hug is accompanied by other symptoms of MS, it may last for hours or longer. This condition may relapse after some periods.

How to Diagnose MS Hug?

Previously, an MS hug was thought to be painless. Research has determined that more than half of people experience pain in the case of MS at some point in their course of disease. The pain feels like a heart attack many times.

Other types of pain with MS hug include trigeminal neuralgia (a condition that causes severe facial pain), abnormal sensations in the legs and feet, and Lhermitte’s sign (a shock-like sensation). Other pains include muscle pain, neck pain, and headaches.

All information should be shared with the doctor to make it easier for the doctor to diagnose. Other conditions that show the same type of symptoms should be ruled out. The doctor may recommend a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan.

How to Manage the MS Hug?

MS hug treatment includes the following methods.

• Avoiding MS hug triggers.

• Stretching and moving of the body.

• Application of warm or cool compresses to the chest or stomach area.

• Consuming over-the-counter pain relievers as per directions.

• Other anti-inflammatory, antispasticity, and neuropathic pain medications may also be used.

Since this condition is considered short-term, it does not need any treatment. If the MS hug is a long-persisting one, then different medications should be taken. If the symptoms are thought of as relapsing, steroids may be given to treat them.

In the case of neuropathic pain, dysaesthesia or altered sensation can be treated with Amitriptyline. Duloxetine, Gabapentin, or Pregabalin are also given. If the symptom is due to spasms, other medications such as Baclofen and Gabapentin may be provided. If these do not work, other medications can be taken.

Sometimes, help can be taken from doctors in pain clinics to manage pain. Sometimes, combinations of drugs can be tried to achieve maximum benefits. An MS hug is a temporary discomfort. Hence, it does not result in long-term complications.

Can You Have an MS Hug Without Having MS?

One can have symptoms similar to those of MS hug pain but without MS. This happens when some other conditions have symptoms similar to those of an MS hug.

This includes conditions such as

• Transverse myelitis.

• Costochondritis (inflammation of the cartilage that connects the ribs to the bone).

• Shingles (a rash caused by a varicella-zoster virus).

• GERD (gastric esophageal reflux disorder).

Such conditions mimic MS hug symptoms. Hence, these conditions are MS hugs without MS.

How to Prevent MS Hug?

MS hug can be prevented, but this is only possible in some cases. The risk can be reduced by,

• Avoiding stress.

• Having a good sleep at night.

• Staying in a cool place whenever the temperature rises.

• Not wearing tight clothes and wearing loose-fitting ones.

• Good health has to be maintained.

If pain in the chest or breathing becomes difficult, seek emergency care immediately. Any sort of chest pain should not be neglected. Immediate medical attention is required.

Other ways to fight against MS hug include:

• A warm bath or using a heating pad may help.

• Another way to distract the brain from thinking of the tightness of the chest.

• To reduce stress, relaxation techniques may be used. These include listening to music or practicing breathing exercises, mindfulness, self-hypnosis, and cognitive behavioral therapy.

• Counting, singing, reading, needlework, model building, or painting can distract the mind.

• Changing positions and moving around may help.

• A transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) machine may be helpful for a few people.

• Physiotherapy or other physical treatments may be of use.

Conclusion:

MS hug is a symptom of the condition called MS. Though it is not a life-threatening condition, MS hug treatment aims at improving the quality of life. In the case of chronic pain, lifestyle modifications such as a healthy diet, good-quality sleep, staying hydrated, and practicing relaxation techniques can help combat stress and promote physical activity. Sometimes, MS hug can occur without MS, which occurs when other conditions mimic the symptoms of MS. Hence, knowing about MS Hug, its description, causes, management, and prevention becomes important.

Key Takeaways From iCliniq:

• MS hug is a painful feeling of tightness or pressure in the chest and the abdominal region.

• Approximately 55% of individuals with MS experience this symptom.

If you or your loved ones experience this, consult our neurologist at iCliniq.