MS Hug and Muscle Spasm Remedies

Hi there, folks,

I think that I am experiencing the ridiculously-named "MS hug" or something similar - a sensation all across my midsection, around the lower rib area. It feels like muscle tightness, like a long tension knot, sometimes pinches like an acute cramp, and has lasted for months. It's aggravated by any sort of forward-hunching position but is always there to some degree. At times, it has caused GI symptoms by straining (bruising? inflaming?) the intestinal ligaments nearby, essentially by punching me in the stomach at all times, so I have had all the invasive GI workups and ruled out anything within that system. Ultrasound and blood work also have ruled out issues with liver, gallbladder, pancreas, etc. I have had costochondritis since I was a child, and it's different from that. A post yesterday mentioned the MS hug, and it seems to fit - nerve inflammation causing a band of muscles spasms in the upper abdomen. Yep.

Anyone have other thoughts about what causes this? Is it an autoimmune process? Or just good old inflammation?

(I propose to re-name it the Lyme squeeze but am open to suggestions. Inflammagirdle? Neuroboa? I simply can't say "MS hug" with all the misunderstandings that already surround Lyme and co-infections....)

So! What do we do for this? I know nerve inflammation causing muscle spasms isn't unique to the abdomen for those of us with Lyme and co-infections. Aside from treating infections, what do we do for this?

I already take burbur-pinella, Jernigan Neuro Antitox CNS/PNS, magnesium, and curcumin. I use topical arnica and essential oils. I might try lion's mane, CBD, and physical therapy.

Any other ideas for me? Other supplements? TENS machine? Massage?

I'm hoping Astroman tells me about something to do with a foam roller or topical treatment that will clear this right up! ;)

Thanks! I knew you'd have ideas. I will try these things.

Are there any topical things people use, like creams or salves?

No help here but I have the exact same horrible thing for 2 years now, in the right side. MS "hug" is definitively not a good word, I agree !

Inflammagirdle sounds about right. It’s definitely inflammation - what kind and what from is unsure. It does feel like a girdle.

this got me researching what the ms people used for treatment and led me to the pat wagner and charles mraz stories. likely its a symptom of vasoconstriction and nitric oxide levels . i remember if i ate histamines or cried it would worsen .
we should rename it like msids ...one vote here for inflamagirdle ....

Or.... "The Lyme Twist"

Around 25 years ago my torso pain would wake me up sometimes like a mini muscle seizure.

Of course being a young man with limited health knowledge and no internet, I just relied on the western medical system ............which did absolutely nothing for me. They just blamed it on the sport I was heavily into which was not the problem at all.

It would wax and wane throughout the years and then found my spine slightly twisted and pelvis out of true.

Tried basic PT many times and of course it did nothing.

Then in the 2000's sought help at chiros ect and learned all my release techniques from 2006 onward. After ABX 2014-2016, my techniques worked way better and started healing.

Still a little crooked, but not like in the old lyme straight jacket days.

Astroman - I support your Lyme Twist idea.

Flowergarden - Empathy! I'll be sure to share anything that helps me. I do notice help from stretching and holding deep breaths (stretching from within). Craniosacral or physical therapy with a good bodyworker seems to loosen the contracting muscles and help them remember what they're supposed to be doing, at least for the muscles closer to the surface. Essential oils also help, for me. Lavender, frankincense, rosemary, peppermint, and rose geranium are my favorites for this and any sort of neuro stuff. Just topical application or inhaling them.

I worked with a practitioner for a while who did acupuncture, flower essences, infrared light pads, reiki, and muscle testing. She used the language of clearing a lot, meaning removing the effect of whatever the offender was. She would identify the infections, allergies, toxins, etc. through muscle testing, and would work on clearing them through all of the above plus a practice called NAET. (NAET involves holding a vial of the energetic imprint of a substance or pathogen while certain points on the body are stimulated and the practitioner energetically "clears" the body with sweeping hand motions.) Her practice was all Lyme patients, and $100 per session. She was one hundred percent convinced that she was capable of clearing anything from anyone, and was confident that the patient's level of belief in her methods was irrelevant to their effectiveness. She also offered "distance treatments" for the same price, during which she transmitted the energy to you from everything she would have done in person. Sometime she was eerily spot-on - which is why I saw her for a year - but sometimes she was completely wrong. (True of the most respected LLMDs, too, I realize!) I do think that muscle testing can be a light in the dark when there's not a better option, but I think it can be so subjective, and all practitioners are not created equal. (Also true of other types of testing!) I kept seeing her because the acupuncture and infrared light therapy were helpful regardless of the other elements, although I do think there was something to the things she did, even if I don't entirely understand them. Would you be willing to share what your practitioner is like? Which modalities of healing do they use? I'm curious because in this and other posts, you use language similar to what my practitioner used. I'm curious if it is similar, and if it is working well for you.