How can your wife manage new stuttering and painful muscle spasms with MS?
It's understandable to be concerned about these new symptoms. Both stuttering and painful muscle spasms are recognized MS symptoms that can develop as the condition progresses.
Speech problems, including stuttering, affect between 25 to 40 percent Show Full Answer
How can your wife manage new stuttering and painful muscle spasms with MS?
It's understandable to be concerned about these new symptoms. Both stuttering and painful muscle spasms are recognized MS symptoms that can develop as the condition progresses.
Speech problems, including stuttering, affect between 25 to 40 percent of people with MS. These issues happen when MS lesions damage parts of the brain that control the muscles involved in speech. The good news is that speech difficulties can often be managed with help from a speech-language pathologist.
Muscle spasms are even more common, affecting 60 to 90 percent of people with MS. These painful contractions happen when nerve damage disrupts normal muscle coordination. Spasms can last from a few seconds to 15 minutes or longer and may repeat throughout the day.
Since these are new symptoms for your wife, it's important to contact her neurologist right away. They can:
* Evaluate whether these symptoms indicate a relapse
* Refer her to a speech-language pathologist for the stuttering
* Prescribe muscle relaxants like baclofen or tizanidine for the spasms
* Recommend physical therapy for stretching exercises
For immediate relief from muscle spasms, she might try gentle stretching, avoiding triggers like extreme temperatures or tight clothing, and managing stress. Many MyMSTeam members have found that working with physical therapists on customized stretches helps preserve range of motion and reduce spasm frequency.
Don't wait to reach out to her healthcare team - early intervention can make a significant difference in managing both symptoms.
February 23
Join
Your Privacy Choices
