What Causes the MS Hug?

One particularly mysterious occurrence of MS pain, nicknamed the “MS Hug,” is often described as a banding sensation or girdle pain surrounding the torso.  While articles of clothing such as girdles, corsets, or Spanx have been used to shape a woman’s torso for years, the MS Hug tends to cloak an individual in pain.  Some people in the online community have referred to the MS Hug as the “Squeeze o’ Death.”

Available explanations of the cause of the MS hug vary.  The highly unpleasant banding sensation occurring anywhere around the torso area could simply be neuropathic pain or dysesthesia (a really “bad” paresthesia).  Symptoms of the MS Hug can show up anywhere on the torso, on one side or the other, or circling all the way around.  Pain from the MS hug may range from mild numbness or tingling to excruciatingly sharp pain or pressure.  Each person’s experience is unique and may differ from one episode to the next.

One particularly mysterious occurrence of MS pain, nicknamed the “MS Hug,” is often described as a banding sensation or girdle pain surrounding the torso.  While articles of clothing such as girdles, corsets, or Spanx have been used to shape a woman’s torso for years, the MS Hug tends to cloak an individual in pain.  Some people in the online community have referred to the MS Hug as the “Squeeze o’ Death.”

Available explanations of the cause of the MS hug vary.  The highly unpleasant banding sensation occurring anywhere around the torso area could simply be neuropathic pain or dysesthesia (a really “bad” paresthesia).  Symptoms of the MS Hug can show up anywhere on the torso, on one side or the other, or circling all the way around.  Pain from the MS hug may range from mild numbness or tingling to excruciatingly sharp pain or pressure.  Each person’s experience is unique and may differ from one episode to the next.

Common pharmacological management of neuropathic pain in MS includes anti-seizure drugs (e.g. Neurontin, Lyrica, Tegretol), corticosteroids and topical agents (e.g. capsaicin, lidocaine, menthol cream), anti-spasticity drugs (e.g. baclofen, Zanaflex), or benzodiazepines (e.g. Valium).  Antidepressant agents (e.g. Elavil, Cymbalta) and opioids may help to modulate the experience of pain.

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What is the MS Hug?: A HealthCentral Explainer