pain

A clinical trial testing whether music therapy can make botulinum toxin injections for spasticity more tolerable for people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and other neurological conditions is enrolling participants at Clermont-Ferrand University Hospital in France.  The study’s protocol was published in PLOS One, in a paper titled, “…

For most people with multiple sclerosis (MS), the use of disease-modifying therapies, or DMTs, does not affect their perceived pain, according to a survey-based study in Australia. As few as one-third of MS patients who had ever used DMTs reported a change in pain, while one-eighth of those…

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) who have chronic lower body pain show distinct changes in how they walk, including significantly slower gait speed, than those without pain, a study reports. Those with chronic lower body pain also took fewer and shorter steps, had longer step durations, and had…

Searing pain and tears characterized my life for years because of multiple sclerosis-associated migraines. I remember those feelings as clearly as day because they diminished my quality of life. One radiant morning, my mom, friend, and I went to a coffee festival in our hometown. It was…

Getrude Kamuyu, in her cap and gown, stands with her mother, Grace Kamuyu. (Photos courtesy of Getrude Kamuyu) Day 1 of 31 This is Getrude Kamuyu’s story: At Easter in 2022, I developed sudden pain in my left eye. Then blindness started to creep in, moving in quickly. Three…

Scientists at The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin) have developed a novel non-opioid compound, called FEM-1689, that is able to reduce pain related to nerve damage in animal models. Neuropathic pain, or pain caused by damage to nerves, is a common symptom of multiple sclerosis (MS)…

Engaging in online sessions of compassion-focused therapy, which works toward getting people to become more compassionate about themselves, may help women with multiple sclerosis (MS) deal with suicidal thoughts, a small study suggests. Compassion-focused therapy also may help these women overcome pain catastrophizing, which is a tendency to view…

Adhering to an aerobic exercise program of moderate to intense cycling for 12 weeks significantly eased pain and fatigue in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), allowing them to be more active in daily life, a small pilot clinical trial found. Results were similar for patients in the trial’s forced…

A commercial probiotic supplement containing the yeast Saccharomyces boulardii significantly eased pain and fatigue, and improved mental health and quality of life, in people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), according to data from a clinical trial in Iran. The probiotic, BioDigest, also reduced inflammation and oxidative stress, a form…

Central neuropathic pain — the kind resulting from damage to the brain and spinal cord — appears to be more severe and widespread and to cause more emotional burden in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) than pain in muscles and joints, according to a recent study. Regardless of pain…

Chronic pain can make it harder for people with multiple sclerosis (MS) to be physically active, but some types of pain have a bigger effect than others, a study suggests. The findings show not just whether a patient is having chronic pain needs to be considered, but also what…

Experiencing certain stressors during childhood may predict the future presence and severity of fatigue, pain, and psychiatric conditions associated with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a new U.S. study. Childhood physical and emotional stressors were each significantly linked to a higher likelihood of MS patients experiencing each of the…

An anti-inflammatory diet combined with synbiotic supplements eased fatigue, pain, sexual dysfunction, and bladder and bowel problems in people with progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) in a small clinical trial. Synbiotics contain probiotics, healthy bacteria for the gut, and prebiotics, or plant fibers that feed probiotics and help…

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a pain in my butt — and other places, too. It hasn’t always been that way. For many years post-diagnosis, I didn’t notice much pain. But of the 43 years I’ve lived with MS, it’s hurt for the past 15. Usually, it’s just…

For most of the past six years, I’ve been suffering from that weekly journo disease known as “columnitis.” One column is finished, hurrah! Bathe in the relief of getting that one in the net. (It’s a football reference, American “Ted Lasso” finale fans.) We’ve also just had the…

People with multiple sclerosis and a history of chronic opioid use are nearly 200 times more likely to use prescription opioids persistently, according to a study involving nearly 15,000 U.S. military veterans living with the neurodegenerative condition. A history of pain, paralysis, post-traumatic stress disorder, or living in a…

Surgical procedures to treat trigeminal neuralgia — a type of nerve damage that causes facial pain — may be successful for some people with multiple sclerosis (MS) who fail to respond to medications, a new study found. A more invasive procedure called microvascular decompression, or MVD, had slightly…

If you haven’t read last week’s column (ah, another discerning nonreader), all you need to know is that I’m in a pain sandwich very much of my own making. And this was an improvement! I’d rather be turned into a hefty snack by a Molift Raiser and a…

Cannabis-based products are more likely to be used by multiple sclerosis (MS) patients with higher levels of disability and pain than those with lesser disability or pain, according to a study of findings in Spain and France. This “may encourage health authorities to consider relaxing the barriers to cannabis use for…

Things had been more than dodgy for the past three days. My right shoulder had gone into complete spasm, and even diazepam couldn’t relax it. I’d also upped my antibiotics as instructed. Nada. As ever, I shouldered on (a naff play on words already, John? Dearie me), stuck on…

The Kanabo Group has established what it claims is the U.K.’s first online medical cannabis clinic to help people with multiple sclerosis and other conditions manage chronic pain. Called Treat It, the clinic is expected to help those whose conventional pharmaceutical medicines are ineffective or those…

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) and interferential currents (IFC) — both interventions apply electrical stimulation through electrodes placed on the skin — can help to ease pain in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to results from a small clinical trial. Results suggested that, while both treatments can reduce…

My hips have hurt for several years. Right now, it’s just a dull ache. But there have been times when it has been a shooting pain. Hip pain isn’t necessarily connected to your multiple sclerosis (MS), but it could be. It might be caused by alterations in your…

Welcome to “MS News Notes,” where I comment on multiple sclerosis (MS) news stories that caught my eye last week. Here’s a look at what’s been happening: Possible nonmedicinal treatment for fatigue, spasticity, pain Wouldn’t it be nice to find a treatment that helps people with MS handle three…

Noninvasive brain stimulation (NIBS) may be able to reduce fatigue, spasticity, and pain, and improve quality of life in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), a new meta-analysis reports. The review assessed several NIBS interventions targeting different brain regions. The results suggest that these techniques can have immediate effects…

Cionic‘s leg-worn Neural Sleeve, recently authorized in the U.S. to aid walking in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and other conditions that impair mobility, reduced foot drop in a small clinical trial. Patients in the trial also reported marked reductions in pain and mental health problems, according to…

In this installment of our “Expert Voices” series, Multiple Sclerosis News Today asked Dawn Ehde, PhD, to answer some of your questions about pain management for people with multiple sclerosis. Ehde is a clinical psychologist and professor of rehabilitation medicine at the University of Washington in Seattle, where…

Will your doctor approve you to buy medical marijuana (MMJ)? Two of mine will and one won’t. The doctor who won’t, a primary care physician who works within a medical group, told me it’s the group’s policy. The problem, she explained, is that there are no guidelines. How do you…

“‘Cause I would never break your heart/ I would only rearrange/ All the other working parts will stay in place.” — Biffy Clyro, a Scottish rock band If you’ve spent any time in a hospital, you know that it never gets completely dark. There’s always a light flickering somewhere, a…

Photo courtesy of Julie Tovar Day 27 of 31 This is Julie Tovar’s (@theadventuresofsamandjulie) story: My journey started in December 2019, as I was planning my February 2020 wedding. I had developed a limp and was experiencing unusual symptoms along with lots of pain. I was…